A Heart and A Song in the Night
by venivincivivez
Summary: Emma and the crew of the Jolly Roger race to save Henry from The Shadow. When tragedy strikes, Killian and Emma lean on each other, growing closer with each passing day. My take on The Heart of the Truest Believer/season 3 with Captain Swan. NOW AN EXTENDED STORY.
1. Chapter 1: The Heart

A wail of pain and despair wracked Neverland's jungle. "_Oh God no! Please no!_" Emma thought desperately, her heart pounding in her chest and hair flying wildly as she raced after Killian towards the Lost Ones' hideout, her parents, Gold, and Regina following close behind. Saviour and pirate put on a burst of speed as they neared the jungle's clearing.

As the group broke through the jungle, they were confronted by a dozen of the Lost Ones. "Henry!" Emma screamed, as she fought to get through the Lost Ones' blockade, seeing her son restrained by Felix and two of the tougher looking Lost Ones on—Emma forced down a wave of nausea—a platform made entirely of human bones. The bones were tinged a sickening blood red; whether this particular hue was from actual blood or the eerie shade cast by the rising Neverland sun, Emma didn't care to find out.

"I thought I told you Rumple not to interfere with the boy. He belongs to Pan now." Felix called calmly over his shoulder from the skull platform.

"Not likely kid! Henry is MY son and none of you are taking him from his family!" Emma retorted.

Emma dodged an attack by one of the Lost Ones fighting to get to Henry. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Killian disengage with fighting two of Pan's crew, stopping another's club swing inches before it hit her head. The two of them quickly cleared an opening between the Lost Ones. "Get your boy Swan! I'll hold them off with the others!" Hook shouted over the clang of swords and the whooshing of arrows. Emma made a break for it as an arrow flew over her head grazing her skull. "RUN!" she heard the pirate urge her forwards once more.

The blonde tore through the mass of Lost Ones, dodging and parrying the attacks from the Ones who came after her. The Neverland sun was blinding as it continued to ascend above the horizon. The distance between Emma and her son grew smaller with each bounding step she took. But just as she thought she would be getting Henry home safe that very day, she heard Felix call "Pan!".

Emma's blood ran cold as The Shadow appeared from inside the tree hideout. Swooping through the Lost Ones the Shadow made its way to the platform, where a frightened Henry grew pale. "Hey!" Emma shouted at the Shadow as she hurled her sword towards it.

Naturally, her weapon went right through The Shadow and it threw back its head as though it were laughing at her attempt. Emma idly thought that a SHADOW was not a dragon, and therefore, she should have known better than to throw her only weapon at a figment of light, magical or not. She had very little time to fully process this thought when the Shadow came at her, lifting her into the air as it threw her back behind the Lost Ones' blockade. Emma landed in an undignified heap in the dirt as Killian and David ran to her side to block her from an attack while she pushed herself upright.

"Gold! Regina! Can't you do something?! You have magic!" Mary Margaret beseeched the Dark One and the Queen as she shot another arrow towards Felix and the platform only for the Shadow to block her attack.

"I'm sorry, dearie! I really am! But our magic works differently here in Neverland." Gold apologized. As if to prove his point, The Dark One sent an albeit weak looking fireball towards the skull platform. The fireball quickly lost momentum and fizzled out to a small spark before landing just beyond the Lost Ones.

Overhead, The Shadow gave what appeared to be an exasperated gesture and pointed frantically towards the rising sun. Felix called the Lost Ones to a halt.

"Pan. We have brought you the Truest Believer. His heart is yours, Peter." Felix addressed The Shadow with a slight bow. Pan, The Shadow, began to fly towards the platform.

"No!" cried Killian. Emma turned her head so fast to stare at the pirate her head spun as she looked at him with a mixture of shock, despair, and a hint of adoration. "No! Take me instead! I was once one of you! You of all people know that," Killian beseeched them pointing to The Shadow, "Please the boy needs his mother, and she needs him. Isn't that what all of you have wanted? Why would you deny the lad that?"

Felix considered the pirate for a tense moment. But The Shadow had other ideas. In one swift movement, The Shadow plunged its hand into Henry's chest, ripping out his heart. There was a collective "NO!" from the Jolly Roger's crew and a scream from Mary Margaret as The Shadow took Henry's heart and stuck it in the space where his chest should be. The crew of the Roger looked on in shock and horror as The Shadow morphed before their eyes, becoming more and more solid.

But what frightened them more was Henry. The dark haired boy began to fade from their sight, becoming a faceless silhouette as his own shadow disappearing from view entirely. As Henry's scream faded into nothingness, a triumphant crow pierced the morning air. In the Shadow's place floated a boy dressed in green and sporting a cocky grin.

"Oh the cleverness of me!" he cried as he flew around the clearing crowing manically as the Lost Ones cheered for their leader, but Emma didn't notice them. Her eyes were fixated on the place where her son once stood. But her son wasn't there. Instead, the shape of Henry appeared as a shadow.

The Shadow Henry used this opportunity to run towards the others, making a beeline for Emma and Regina. The Shadow Henry threw his arms around Emma, but Emma felt nothing. He tightened his grip but still all Emma could feel was empty space. When Emma reached out to touch her son's face, her hand met air.

"Bring him back." Emma's voice was ice cold as she addressed Pan and the Lost Boys. "Bring Henry back to me now or I'll —"

"You'll what? Send us to our rooms? Mother or not you have no power here. This is my world and that is my shadow," the flying boy gestured to Henry, "I needed his heart to bring me back. And now Neverland will do as I will it to again. Really you should be proud to have sacrificed your son to such a noble cause. And its not as though I killed him. Really, you're missing the bigger picture here!" Pan beamed at the blonde, completely unrepentant.

"And it's not as though you won't be able to see him again," Pan continued, completely oblivious to Regina's scream of rage and her failed attempt at hurling some sort of curse towards him, "I've got it!" the boy crowed, "Since you are his mother you can be our mother and come and tell us stories! How does that sound?" Pan looked thoroughly pleased with himself for coming up with such an idea.

Emma took a deep breath, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, her eyes were murderous as she addressed Pan, "The only story I am going to be telling anyone is the one I'll tell my son, HENRY, about how I ended you and burned Neverland to the ground."

"And for everyday she does not have her son back, I will happily show her all of this realm's secrets for her to use against you and yours. I'd strongly advise you to give up boy. As you don't want to be against us." Killian chimed in, sounding as destructive as Emma looked.

"I don't think that was the best thing you could have said dearies." Gold muttered under his breath.

Pan turned petulant and scowled at the saviour and the pirate. "Fine! Be that way! But you won't be getting my shadow!" the flying boy snapped, as he flew around the clearing once more before swooping down amongst the Roger's crew and picking up the Shadow Henry by the collar.

"You are quite right Hook. I do know about your time as a Lost Boy. But unfortunately, pirate, you grew up. And Peter Pan can never grow up." the flying boy mocked before flying away with the Shadow Henry, the Lost Ones cheering as the followed their leader on foot.

Emma watched the Shadow form of her son struggle vainly against Pan. She was thankful for the strong arms that caught her around the waist as she blissfully succumbed to darkness.


	2. Chapter 2: The Mermaid's Song

Emma woke up gasping for air as she looked frantically around the dimly lit room. Soft feminine hands smoothed her hair and rocked her gently.

"Henry? Henry!" she called out in desperation as the body next to her shushed her soothingly. Her eyes finally registered where she was and who she was with, and Emma relaxed slightly into her mother's embrace and the down pillows. Glancing around the cabin she slowly gathered her wits and assessed the situation.

Her mother broke the silence. "The captain thought you'd be more comfortable in his cabin rather than the crew's quarters for the time being, Emma. I felt that given the circumstances...after everything...you could use a good sleep..." the princess trailed off, fighting back her own tears while David gave Emma's and Mary Margaret's hands a comforting squeeze.

Emma turned her face into her mother's shoulder and whispered miserably, "I just wish this morning had been a bad dream."

The captain spoke up quickly, "I promised you I'd help you find your lad, Swan. That promise included bringing him home. And Captain Hook never breaks his word, love." Killian said. _Well that's one question answered_, Emma thought as she gave the pirate a sad but grateful look.

The foursome remained silent for a moment, each lost in their own view of the earlier events of the day.

"Where are Gold and Regina?" Emma broke the silence glancing around Killian's sparsely furnished cabin.

The pirate snorted, "Took off shortly after we brought you back here. Bloody traitorous fools, they are!"

"My thoughts exactly," the knight muttered, agreeing with the pirate to Emma's surprise.

"But why did they leave? Aren't we supposed to be working together? We all have Henry as a goal, what happened?" Emma questioned both men.

"You field this one mate." the pirate requested shaking his head bitterly at the actions of The Dark One and the Queen.

"Apparently," David began, sounding tired and frustrated, "Gold and Regina felt that they were better off looking for Henry on their own."

"So they went off in search of him together?" Emma hoped.

"Sorry lass, but not even Regina can stand working with the Crocodile. The two of them parted ways as they parted ways with us. Bloody idiots! They have no idea what sort of danger that awaits them. And with their magic acting...well acting abnormally for magic..."

"They were incredibly stupid for running off like that, regardless of their abilities back home." David finished for the pirate.

Emma nodded in understanding. "So what now?" she sighed as she sank back into the soft, down pillows.

"Now we leave you to get some rest," Snow replied propelling David towards the cabin door, ignoring his protests at leaving their daughter alone in the pirate's bedroom, "If you need something let us know. I'll whip something up in the kitchen—or I suppose it's called the galley on a ship—and leave it for you if you get hungry." She concluded almost absentmindedly, practically pushing her husband out the door as she closed it swiftly behind them.

Killian and Emma were left staring at the closed door seemingly unable to fully process what had just happened. An awkward silence descended upon the Captain's Cabin.

"Well ummm that was...different." the Captain announced scratching the back of his neck with his hook.

"Tell me about it." Emma mumbled as she buried her face beneath her hands, telling herself her face was flushed because of exhaustion and not the prospect of being alone in the pirate's room, with said pirate, in the pirate's _bed_.

Killian took her body language as the former and said softly, "I'll leave you to rest Swan. Long day today and all that."

"No wait!" Emma cried quickly dropping her hands as the dark haired man turned to go. "That is...you don't have to leave. It's your room for crying out loud," she clarified, "Besides, I don't think I could sleep even if I wanted to."

The pirate sat down at the foot of the bed. "What you've gone through today love, would give even the toughest man night terrors." he said slowly in a low and comforting voice, gauging her reaction to his new proximity. When she showed no signs of kicking him off the bed and giving him a tongue lashing, Killian relaxed his tense posture.

Emma brought her knees up to her chest. "I failed him," she whispered sadly, "He needed me and I failed him."

"No, darling. No." the pirate consoled, "You did everything a mother could do for her son in that situation. We were outnumbered and up against that bleeding bloody Shadow and you still fought for your son. Anyone who fights that hard for something, deserves to get it in the end. Emma, look at me," Killian urged, lifting her chin gently with the curve of his hook to look her in her blue-green eyes, "We _will_ find your son, get him back, and most importantly, we are going to bring him back _home_."

The pirate brought his good hand up to the blonde saviour's cheek, wiping away a stray tear. Emma sighed and leaned into his touch slightly before she quickly realized what she was doing and jerked back.

Unfortunately she moved too far back very quickly and wound up banging her head on the oak head-board. Emma let out a stream of curse words rubbing the back of her head.

And like that, the tension was broken as the two looked at each other for a moment before they burst out laughing. "You know love, with a colourful vocabulary like that you'd definitely be one hell of a pirate. In fact, I don't even think I've heard of some of those particular phrases," Killian grinned.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up buddy. I'll be the one with the giant lump on my head in the morning," the saviour laughed while still rubbing her head slightly, "So uh...do you have any more of that rum? I think we both could use some of that tonight..." Emma looked at him shyly, trying to convey it was more his company that she wanted.

"I think I have a much better solution for us than rum for this evening, darling." The pirate proclaimed as he leapt from the bed. He surprised her again—_he seems to be doing that a lot lately_, Emma thought dryly—by holding out his hand to help her from his bed. She surprised him by taking his hand in hers, allowing him to pull her up and lead her to the door.

"So what is this remedy of yours?" Emma asked as the pirate led her up the stairs to the main deck and over towards the row boat suspended from the Jolly Roger's side.

"Well that's all part of the surprise, love," the pirate answered with a wink, getting into the small craft, "Now in to the boat you get darling."

"We're going ashore? What the hell are you on about?" Emma crossed her arms over her chest.

"I promise you we can be back before your parents even know we're gone. But if it means that much to you we can go tell—"

"Oh please! I'm twenty-nine not sixteen! I'm a grown woman and I don't need my parents' permission to go gallivanting off in the night with some pirate." Emma stressed unceremoniously getting into the lifeboat.

Emma missed Killian's satisfied grin at having riled her up into compliance, as she untied the ropes to lower them towards the water. As the small vessel touched the water, Emma reached for the second oar but Killian beat her to it, rowing rather impressively despite the hook.

Emma was left to study him as he rowed in a contemplative silence. A crescent moon shone brightly overhead, casting an ethereal glow on the little row boat and its occupants. Emma marveled at the way the moonlight hit her companion's eyes, making them shine in the night. When she caught herself admiring the pirate's flexing muscles as he rowed them effortlessly—_seriously! His shirts should be illegal with how they move with him! not to mention how easy they are to take off..._—Emma put a swift stop to her observations and shook her head, chastising her traitorous brain.

"See something you like, love?" Killian teased with a grin.

"Oh shut up!" Emma retorted, hiding a smile by lowering her head. The little boat reached the shoreline, and the pirate leapt gracefully out of the boat, passing Emma the oars as he pushed the craft the rest of the way onto the sandy beach.

Killian helped her out of the boat—_always a gentleman_, Emma thought, inwardly thrilled with the idea—and began to lead her away from the boat around a large rock formation.

"So where _are_ we going?" Emma asked with a slight whine that stemmed from her curiosity.

"Patience darling, patience!" Killian replied with an air of indulgence. He continued to lead her along the sandy beach, up and over several of the smaller rock formations until they reached a sharply curved part of the beach surrounded by tropical foliage.

The pirate stopped and turned to the blonde. "Before we go any farther lass," he began quietly, "You have to promise not to make a sound. They can be very skittish creatures...especially when the moon is like that," he finished pointing to the moon above them.

"Skittish creatures?" At the pirate's raised eyebrow, Emma quickly complied and nodded her head to show she understood.

Taking the pirate's extended hand, Emma was led through the foliage. She opened her mouth in awe of what she saw, but when her ears caught up with the rest of her, she was moved beyond words.

A lagoon filled with about a dozen mermaids greeted her from behind the leaves. Their shimmering fins refracted the moonlight, as an unearthly melody drifted through the night air. The sea creatures lay sprawled amongst the rocks and waterfalls, combing and arranging their long hair with shells. The song they sang was hauntingly beautiful, yet there was a hint of sadness to the mermaids' hymn.

Emma made to move closer, but was stopped by a firm hand on her arm and warm breath in her ear. "Best not get too close, darling. Beautiful creatures, mermaids are, but they will happily drown you if you get too close, even on tonight of all nights," Killian whispered.

Emma shivered from both his warning and his proximity, and nodded to convey that she would be more careful. When the pirate was sure she wouldn't run off into a watery death, he continued still murmuring quietly in her ear, "It's rare to hear the mermaids sing, especially here in Neverland. Mermaids change with the moon, love, much like the tide. On a moon like this, it is said that mermaids become their most beautiful and most human. They draw their power from the crescent moon and mourn the lovers they've lost but revel in the new moon to come." _Like recharging their batteries_, Emma thought as the pirate continued, "Now in most other lands, a crescent moon happens once a month. But in Neverland, years can pass without seeing a crescent moon. Hence, the mermaids are less likely to kill a person passing by on account of their immense delight at the crescent moon. "

"How is that even possible?" Emma asked, barely moving her lips to keep quiet.

"Anything is possible in Neverland, Emma. The island does what it wants to do...unless of course..."

"Pan is around to control it." Emma finished, slightly bitter at the reminder of the boy who took Henry.

The pirate winced at having brought it up, but nodded. The pair stood in silence, still closely pressed against one another, lost in the melodic chorus echoing off the rocks. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a bright light went whizzing past Emma's face, flitting off towards the lagoon.

Emma's eyes widened as a second, third, and fourth light flew by. She turned her head back slightly to look at Killian with hopeful, questioning eyes.

"Fairies, my darling," the pirate murmured tenderly, slowly wrapping his arms around her waist as he rested his head on her shoulder.

The lagoon was swiftly filled with a warm glow, as thousands upon thousands of fairies flocked to the mermaids' haven. The tiny lights darted amongst the mermaids, reflecting off their scales and the water. Fairies gathered throughout the mermaids' hair in golden crowns. Emma was entranced by the sight before her. "_This is incredible!_" Emma thought, "_The most beautiful thing I've ever seen!"_

"Yes, you are." the pirate spoke softly behind her. Emma's eyes widened at the realization she had voiced her thoughts on the sight before them, and she slowly turned in the pirate's strong arms, raising an eyebrow, daring him to comment further.

He said nothing, but looked at her with such an earnest expression that her gaze softened, and she blushed under his scrutiny.

The pirate removed his arms from around her waist—she immediately missed his warmth—and stepped back from her slightly, before giving her a courtly bow. He gestured for her to follow suit and Emma attempted an awkward looking curtsey in her jeans. Having failed a second time, Emma huffed and copied Killian's bow instead, not entirely sure where he was going with this. The pirate stepped forward once more, wrapping his hooked arm around her waist and taking her left hand in his right. He turned them in place, getting her comfortable with the motion. Just as she got used to the idea, the dark haired man made the steps more complicated as he led her into what she decided was a waltz of some sort; having never taken dancing lessons—certainly not the kind her parents had in mind for her—she had a limited knowledge of what to call the pattern they moved in.

Killian guided her through their dance with a practiced grace, making Emma wonder where he learned and who taught him; more questions about his past that she found herself wanting to know the answers to, and more importantly, questions she wanted him to ask her.

She didn't know what would happen the next day, or the day after. But somehow, dancing with Killian—for in her mind, at least she called him Killian—that didn't matter. They would have time to face whatever came to them next. They would find Henry, and they would bring him home. All Emma knew at the moment, was that perhaps Neverland's crescent moon meant something for the two of them as well as the mermaids. In the song in the night, something rare, and magical was growing from two lifetimes of loneliness and heartbreak.

* * *

Author's note: Hello all! This was part two of my two-shot A Heart and A Song in the Night. Thank you so much for reading! It means a lot that my stories are being viewed because I've never posted what I've written before. So some notes about this fic. Firstly, this was originally one long story but I split it into two because I felt they were two distinct pieces and needed their own space. Secondly, my Shadow and my mermaids are an attempt to be as close to Barrie's as possible. Pan's Shadow in the book runs almost independently from Peter until Wendy sews it on, while the mermaids are described in the book as changing with the turning of the moon. The whole concept of the crescent moon being powerful for my Neverland's mermaids is my take on some research I did for this fic on moon cycles and magical properties (water goddesses get/use energy during a crescent moon). So anyway, I think that's everything. Please review! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Ciao!


	3. Chapter 3: A Mermaid's Treasure

Emma felt an odd sense of domesticity as she climbed the stairs leading from the Jolly Roger's galley to the Captain's Cabin. What was left of the Roger's motley crew—Gold and Regina having separated from the group several days earlier—had spent the day looking for the fairies' glade, hoping the fey folk would be able to help them on their quest to save Henry. Although they were met with limited success—they found the glade but not the fairies—Emma felt strangely reassured that they would eventually get Henry back by the pirate captain's resilience and encouraging words throughout these last few days in Neverland; whenever she felt as though she had hit rock bottom, Killian was there to pull her out of her hopelessness with a reassuring word or a flirty wink.

Snow White's motherly persona had kicked in after their less than fruitful search for Henry that day, and had apparently decided to cook enough seafood to feed an entire army rather than the four members of the Roger's crew. The princess evidently believed that the pirate's steadfastness to their cause, despite the hurdles, deserved the type of reward that was best exhibited by a home-cooked—or in this case ship cooked—meal. Which led Emma to her current assignment; fetching the pirate captain for said meal.

The blonde saviour rapped thrice on the captain's door. There was a brief pause before the deep voiced pirate granted her entrance with an absent minded "Come in." Emma complied and stepped into Killian's cabin.

The blonde woman found the pirate sitting at his desk, staring intently inside a small, intricately carved, wooden box as though it held the secrets of the universe in it's contents. Killian didn't seem to register that she had entered and so when she crossed the cabin to tap on his desk, the man startled and snapped the lid of the box closed.

"Ah! Emma, darling. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Killian purred, but his eyes betrayed a less confident air. His attempt at looking casual failed under Emma's scrutiny.

"Alright, out with it," Emma frowned, "What gives?"

"Gives, love? There's nothing to give...was there something you wanted? Other than me of course!" the pirate attempted to distract her with coquetry. Emma narrowed her eyes as she studied him. Killian's posture was tense (although he hid it well), his eyes kept darting from her to the box on his desk—_there it is!_, Emma thought.

Calling him out on it, Emma said gently, "Look, if you are worried about me looking at your things I won't, I promise. This is your space and you've been nothing but good to me and my family, and—"

"NO!" the pirate exclaimed startling the blonde, "No, lass," he continued more calmly but no less jumpy, "You can uh look around if you want. I was just thinking about you—that is I was thinking about something that made me think of you and...bloody hell!" Killian ran his good hand over his face and began to pace his cabin, stalking from the desk to just in front of Emma and back again, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth.

"Hey, hey!" Emma soothed, placing a hand on either side of his face to better look at him, "Whatever it is that's bothering you, you can tell me. You've heard my problems, the least I can do is return the favour. You can trust me, because I certainly trust you," Emma gently rubbed soothing circles at the man's temples.

The pirate closed his eyes, reveling in the blonde's touch tilting his head to breathe in the scent of her skin. Killian sighed contentedly, opening his sea blue eyes to meet her blue-green ones.

"Now, do you want to talk about what the hell is going on with you?" Emma consoled softly, her hands slipping down his face to cradle his head in her hands.

"It's not so much that something is bothering me per se, beautiful, but rather how I feel you might react." The pirate sighed looking away from her.

Breaking away from her touch—very reluctantly—Killian returned to his desk and picked up the wooden box in his good hand. He returned to Emma's side placing the box in her outstretched hands. "Open it," he murmured, uncharacteristically shy. Emma shot him a questioning look, but opened the delicate case. Emma gasped in awe, her eyebrows shooting up into her hairline as she carefully removed a delicate aquamarine pendant from the wooden box. The tear-drop shaped jewel dangled from a simple yet elegant gold chain.

"Killian, this is beautiful," Emma whispered.

"You like it?"

"I love it! But that doesn't explain why you were so worried—" Emma came to an abrupt halt, as comprehension regarding the pirate's strange behaviour and reluctance to show her the box dawned on her, "Oh no! No! I can't accept this. It's too beautiful, it's too much! It must have cost a fortune!" Emma worried placing the exquisite necklace back in its box.

The pirate closed his hand over hers as she attempted to give it back to him. "Its not too much, and it certainly didn't cost a fortune. Or if it did I wouldn't know. Asking for the price wasn't something I thought of when I acquired it." Killian consoled.

Emma was launched into a flashback of another stolen pendant and opened her mouth to chastise the pirate. It was the pirate's turn to comprehend the situation and he quickly clarified, "Emma, it belonged to my mother."

The blonde went to protest again, but was silenced by the pirate captain's look. "I have very few memories of my mother," Killian began, opening the wooden box again and hanging the pendant from his hook. The saviour and the pirate watched the blue-green gem sparkle in the candlelight, casting an etherial glow on the pair, as Killian continued, "I remember that she was very beautiful and looked on everyday with curiosity and wonder. She used to sing to me before I fell asleep," the pirate trailed off for a moment, lost in another time, in another land, "But there is one memory that I remember like it was yesterday. I was always asking her about her necklace because it looked so much like the colour of the sea we lived near. The night before she died, my mother came into my room and shook me awake. She took this necklace off—something I had never seen her do—and gave it to me. She told me how the jewel was believed to be a mermaid's most precious treasure, and that sailors who wore the gem would be kept safe at sea," Killian shook his head, "She wasn't even sick. Da' came in the next morning crying, and he told me mother had died. I wasn't allowed to see her..." the pirate cleared his throat as his voice cracked slightly.

Emma, who had been enthralled by the pirate's tale, placed a comforting hand on his arm. "Whatever happened Killian, you can be certain that she loved you. She wouldn't have given you this if she hadn't loved you and trusted you to take care of it."

"Too right, lass," the pirate nodded, "Which is exactly why I want you to have it. Mother would be cross with me if she knew I had kept it hidden away in this box for all these years." Killian placed the necklace in the blonde's hand, closing her fingers around it.

"It really is beautiful..." Emma sighed, looking down at the pendant longingly.

"If it didn't go to you, darling, it would still be sitting gathering dust. And that would be wasting it now, wouldn't it?" the pirate's charming personality had returned with gusto, as he directed Emma towards the hanging mirror by the wardrobe.

The blonde grinned at the pirate in the mirror as she carefully secured the heirloom around her neck.

"It suits you!" Killian affirmed as he reached to straighten the chain against Emma's pale throat, letting his fingers linger along her collarbone.

"Thank you," Emma replied blushing, thinking of the other woman who could have been given the necklace, "It really is lovely, and I am honoured to be allowed to wear it."

"Well, I figured it should go to a very remarkable woman. And you, Emma Swan, are one bloody remarkable woman."

Emma blushed further, her eyes sparkling like the jewel settled just above her breasts. Emma placed a hand on the pirate's chest and raised her head. Killian responded, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her ever closer.

Killian could feel Emma's breath against his face as they moved closer still, their lips almost touching—

"Emma, what is taking so—WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?"

The pirate and the saviour sprang apart as though they had been burned.

"Dad!" Emma shrieked in surprise, blushing fiercely, "Nothing happened!" she shouted stupidly, "I mean...Killian gave me a gift and I was saying thank you..." Emma amended, pointing to the pendant.

David continued to stare at the couple, alternating between shocked surprise—directed towards Emma—and glaring daggers at the pirate. Killian responded to the prince's scare tactics by shifting slightly closer to Emma, attempting to simultaneously let both parties know that whatever was happening between himself and Emma, was happening.

Emma glanced between the two and huffed at their antics. "So ummm...this has been sufficiently awkward for everyone involved here..." She fidgeted, embarrassed at being caught in a near kiss by her father. Still blushing to her hairline, the blonde grabbed the pirate by his hook and pulled him towards the door.

As they neared the prince, Killian stopped, looking the other man in the eye, "I won't say 'I'm sorry,' because I'm not. But I have no intention of ever hurting your daughter. I just thought you ought to know that before you judge me too harshly."

Emma groaned, even more embarrassed than before, but inwardly delighted by the man's gentlemanly attempt at befriending her father. The prince nodded but continued to frown at the pirate. Turning to Emma, David grumbled, "Your mother and I were wondering what was keeping you. Dinner's ready..."

The pirate and the saviour took that as their cue and raced hand in hook out of the prince's punching range, laughing as they disappeared from his sight down the stairs to the galley. David sighed miserably, "I was wrong. It's impressive _she_ can still provide us with traumatic childhood experiences this late in the game." Running a hand over his face, the prince followed after his daughter and the pirate—who was slowly becoming a more permanent fixture in the family.

* * *

Hello all! I hope you enjoyed this latest one from me. I initially was going to make this (and the two following chapters to come) a fic of its own but, based on the positive response I got for A Heart and A Song in the Night, I have decided to add A Mermaid's treasure and its companion parts to A Heart and A Song. Whether this becomes a larger, complete fluid piece will be determined by a. my muses b. my schedule come September when I go back to grad school and c. REVIEWS! A note about Aquamarine: it is also known in folklore as mermaids' treasure, and the Greeks and Romans believed it protected sailors (so that is all based off of truth). Something that I did not add to the story but can be implied, is the Roman legend that states the gem absorbs the atmosphere of young love and gains its power when it's in water. So there is your fun fact of the day. Please review! And I hope to get the new chapter out by either tomorrow or Friday.


	4. Chapter 4: A Pirate's Treasure

The warm island breeze fluttered through Emma's golden tresses, as she stood up on the rocks from the placing another fishing line, surveying her handy work with one hand resting on the hilt of her sword. She had to admit, she was getting rather good at setting and baiting the traps, Killian had showed her how to make. _Much easier than trying to hunt chimera_, Emma laughed inwardly, _Especially when I know exactly what I'm eating_.

Emma checked her traps once more, before turning from the ocean to face the jungle. The pirate had taken her parents to collect supplies inland (_My ship might be a marvel, your highness, but she can't work bloody miracles!_, Emma recalled Killian's argument to her father with affection), leaving Emma to work on setting and baiting the seafood traps.

The blonde shook her head. It had been less than a week since Killian had given her his mother's necklace, and while the two of them had fallen into a new level of familiarity, her parents had responded with mixed emotions. Emma was still trying to comprehend her mother's motivations for pulling her aside after the dinner, and demanding—in more of a gossiping Mary Margaret and Old Emma fashion—each and every detail regarding how the pirate gave her the necklace.

David on the other hand...well, while the prince didn't seem to be as hostile towards the debonair swashbuckler, every so often Emma would catch her father looking at the pirate as though he were imagining his fist making contact with the other man's face. Usually, Snow caught these fanciful imaginings and Emma had frequently heard her mother scold her father afterwards.

Emma shook her head and lifted the aquamarine jewel nestled against her chest to admire it in the sunlight. The blonde wholeheartedly agreed with her mother when she said that the necklace truly was lovely. Somehow, whenever Emma felt a pang of sorrow for her lost son, she was oddly comforted gazing into the sea blue gem; sometimes she thought of the pirate who gave it to her, other times she thought of what Henry's expression might be when she finally found him and showed him her necklace.

Unfortunately, admiring the pretty trinket left her very unprepared for the cold, wet hand that grasped her ankle and pulled her from her standing position into the ocean waters below. Emma made the unfortunate mistake of opening her mouth to scream as she was dragged under the churning waters by a silvery haired mermaid.

The startled blonde reached for her sword, but her hands were pinned behind her by a second mermaid while the first continued to push her down to the ocean floor. The saviour struggled against their iron grip, twisting and turning and kicking. Her survival skills quickly kicked in, picked up from years on the streets and in the bad foster care homes. With a renewed strength, Emma wrenched an arm free, clawing at the face of the silver haired creature in front of her as she continued to kick at the mermaid behind her.

The mermaids hissed viciously at Emma's attacks, furious that their prey had failed to cooperate. _Okay magic! Now would be a really, really good time to kick in! _Emma thought desperately, hoping beyond all hope that something, anything, would happen. A faint pulse of shimmering light from the necklace at her throat appeared once, then twice, shocking the mermaid attempting to claw at Emma's eyes. Another series of hisses and then a flash of red obscured Emma's vision, as the mermaid behind her relinquished her grasp and swam off, hissing petulantly. Emma could see the sun from beneath the water surrounding her. The saviour was running out of air as she struggled to get to the surface.

A new pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders and Emma weakly renewed her assaults—although this time, the grip was surprisingly gentle. As Emma's strength began to fail her, she thought of all the things she had wanted to do in her life: taking her son to the park, learning how to sword fight and shoot arrows from her parents, kiss a certain pirate...

Killian's eyes and a mass of red hair appeared before her, and then everything went black.

* * *

In the jungle beyond the coast, Captain Killian Jones rolled his eyes at the antics of his traveling companions as they gathered the coconuts they had knocked down from the tree. Or rather they collected the occasional coconut while they conducted a very heated but hushed discussion about the pirate, his relations with their beloved daughter, and the prince's "overly protective daddy issues"—her majesty's words—regarding his child's love life. _Clearly they think I'm deaf as well as one-handed_, Killian thought dryly as he heard the prince's wife chastise him—again—about punching the pirate.

Said pirate was rather glad to have been sent by the short haired princess to gather firewood. Killian was initially paired with Emma's charming father in the coconut task, but the two had been separated by the saviour's mother in a furious tirade—_definitely where Emma gets her temper from_—after the prince had "accidentally" sent a coconut flying into the back of the pirate's head.

As Killian knelt to inspect another fallen tree branch, a searing pain shot straight to his heart, bringing him to his knees gasping for breath. He staggered to his feet as the two royals stopped their dispute and looked at the paling pirate.

"Emma," Killian gasped, his eyes struck with terror as he tore off in the direction of the beach. The pirate vaguely registered the couple chase after him, but he quite frankly didn't care.

_Please no. Not Emma. Not my Emma_, Killian prayed as he bounded through the jungle, closely followed by a frantic Snow White and Prince Charming.

The pirate reached the sand, frantically scanning the beach for the blonde. _No, no, no. Please gods, no!_

"There!" the prince shouted, "By the rocks!" Killian didn't need to be told twice, and took off again.

The pirate reached the blonde lying in a sandy rock pool, sliding to his knees swiftly followed by the prince and then his wife. Blood trickled down from a cut on Emma's cheek and her jeans were ripped along the right leg, where a deep, purple bruise in the shape of long fingers was forming. Her golden hair was drenched and matted with sand.

"No! NO!" the pirate begged as he put an ear to her mouth and realized she wasn't breathing. The prince gave a cry of agony and despair.

Killian gathered the blonde in his arms, shaking her gently as the saviour's father begged her to wake up.

"Mouth to mouth!" Snow White cried frantically, "Killian, you have to give her—"

"Right...of course," the pirate replied wildly as he registered the princesses words. Killian lay the blonde woman back on the beach, tilting her head back slightly as he leaned in to press his mouth against hers. _Not exactly how I pictured our first kiss, my darling, but desperate times_...the pirate thought unsteadily.

Just as Killian's mouth was about to make contact with Emma's, the blonde woman beneath him coughed, spluttering out sea water as she gasped for breath.

"Hey, handsome," Emma choked out weakly. Pirate and parents breathed a heavy sigh of relief, David pulling Snow into his arms and giving the pirate a small but meaningful smile. Killian nodded at the prince then returned his attention to Emma, giving her a mega-watt grin before gathering her into his arms, holding her close.

"Don't you _dare_ do that to me again, love. You scared the wits out of me!" the pirate whispered fiercely in her ear, "If I ever lost you—Emma it would destroy me."

Emma feebly nuzzled his cheek with her nose. "I wasn't worried. I knew you'd save me," she sighed against his neck.

The pirate pulled back slightly, one eyebrow ascending into his hairline. "Emma, honey, I think you've swallowed a bit too much sea water," her father laughed anxiously. The prince looked to the pirate, "We'd best get her back to the ship, check out that cut and—"

"No! I saw his eyes after the mermaids swam off! That's how I knew I'd be safe!" Emma whined, wanting the others to believe her, "You believe me don't you?" the blonde turned her blue-green eyes to the pirate beseechingly.

"Of course I believe you darling, you think of me that often!" the pirate quipped, pleased when he got a blush from the blonde woman before she narrowed her eyes at him.

"No. I'm telling you that's what I saw!"

Killian sighed, resting his forehead against hers. "Well, I'll tell you this, my dear. Whatever or whoever saved you, I am eternally grateful to them."

"I know what I saw..." Emma mumbled petulantly as her mother pressed an indulgent kiss to her temple.

The foursome lapsed into a moment of silence, thankful that a tragedy had been avoided. The sound of a creature pushing out of the water broke the silence and drew the attention of the prince and the princess, who gasped in shock.

"Hello, boy," a melodic voice sounded from above the group, startling Emma and Killian from out of their reverie.

The pirate's eyes widened and he snapped his head towards the voice. Perched on the large rock protruding from the water, sat a red haired mermaid. The merwoman gave the pirate a tearful smile. "I thought you might want your treasure back," she sang.

Emma looked from the red-head to the pirate and back again. "Killian..." Emma gasped awestruck.

The pirate's eyes gazed into the identical pair of the sea creature's before them. "Mother?" Killian croaked, his ocean blue eyes filled with tears, mirroring those of the woman he had long taken for dead, but who, in fact was very much alive and had greatly missed her beloved son.

* * *

Author's Notes: So there you have it folks! The answer to the question some of you asked regarding Killian's mother. Did you catch who it is? wink wink. I hope to have another chapter up tomorrow or by saturday at the latest. As always, please review, it means the world to me! Hope you are enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it!


	5. Chapter 5: Comfort

Killian hadn't said more than a dozen words from the revelation that his mother was in fact alive to their return to the Jolly Roger. Having enthusiastically introduced herself as Ariel to the Charmings, the mermaid had attempted to reconnect with her son. This proved to be more difficult than one would expect; the pirate had stared at her, blinking, for several moments before he picked up a protesting Emma and ordered the Charmings back to the ship. Not one to give up on a challenge—something her son had picked up from her no doubt—Ariel had followed the little row boat back to the Roger. How the mermaid managed to get herself onto the Roger's deck Emma couldn't say, as the moment her own feet touched the quarter deck, Killian had lifted her back up and carried her into his cabin, slamming the door behind them with a thud.

The pirate crossed the room and gently sat the blonde down on his bed, before turning to fetch what looked to Emma like a very primitive first aid kit—a few small vials of herbs, some clean (looking) white cloths, a needle and thread, and a muddy brown paste of some sort that Emma sincerely hoped would not be going near her. Killian took one of the cloths from their wooden case and fetched his ever-present flask of rum from out of the curio cabinet by the desk.  
The pirate soaked the cloth in the rum and brought it to the cut on the blonde's cheek. Killian caught her eye. "This will probably sting," he warned gently. Emma hissed as he cleaned her cut, thankful more for the fact that he was speaking again rather than for the warning. The blonde remained quiet, letting the pirate concentrate and allowing herself time to think.

As Killian finished—noting that she would not need stitches and that the cut wouldn't scar—Emma asked the question she had been holding back out of respect for the pirate. "What are you going to say to your mom?"  
The pirate's back was turned to her as he put away the medical supplies, so Emma missed his pained wince. Turning around, Killian replied "I'm not going to ask her anything, Swan. If anything I'm going to throw her back in where she came from." This last bit the pirate added with more than a touch of anger.  
Okay, walls have officially gone back up and we're back to last names. This will be challenging, Emma thought sadly. She sighed softly. "You don't mean that Killian," the blonde insisted.

"Oh I most certainly do, Swan," the pirate countered bitterly.

"Oh really, Hook!" the pirate recoiled as though she had slapped him, "You really think that you don't want to talk to your mother—your mother!—the woman who gave you life? You're telling me, that you have absolutely no desire to speak to the woman you loved so much that you kept her most prized possession for over three hundred years? The possession which you said you kept for someone special because you knew she wouldn't want you to keep it locked in a box for the rest of your life? Is that honestly what you are telling me? Because if that's the case, then I will leave right now and you can have this back," Emma pointed to the aquamarine pendant around her neck.

The blonde had become increasingly angry throughout her speech, but deflated seeing the dark haired man wrestle with his emotions. Sighing, Emma continued more softly, "Killian, we've been through a lot together. We understand each other, so I know exactly what you are feeling and how you are thinking right now. Talk to me. Let me help you," Emma beseeched him, placing her hands on his biceps.  
The pirate's hardened facade crumbled and Emma barely reacted in time to steady them as he collapsed into her, making them fall to their knees as he pulled her close and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"She didn't die. I could have handled it if she was dead. I was handling it! But she isn't dead! She left me!" Killian sobbed. "Didn't she want me? If she didn't want me, did she even love me? Couldn't she have at least told me why she was leaving? But she left me! I loved her and she abandoned me! My mother abandoned me, and then da' abandoned me, and then Milah, and Bae, and then you! And now today, I almost lost you for good! I can't loose anyone else, Emma, I can't." The pirate had pulled Emma even closer as he wept, three hundred years of hurt flooding to the surface. Killian sank further down until his head rested against her chest, listening to the sound of the blonde woman's heartbeat. His stubble scratched roughly against her skin but Emma barely noticed, as he burrowed his head further into her breasts, desperately trying to keep her and her heart as close to him as possible.

Emma stroked his hair gently and soothingly, as she whispered words of comfort. "I'm here. I'm not leaving, not now, and not ever again. I won't leave you. You are loved, Killian Jones. And your mother loved you. I know she loved you, because it's impossible not to love you. You don't have to be alone anymore," the blonde murmured fiercely, as the pirate's entire body shook with his sobs. More than anything else, Emma understood exactly how he felt. Because she had been through the same ordeal just a few months before. The thought of how alike, how broken, and how alone the two of them had been, brought tears to her eyes. And the pirate and the saviour wept together, two lonely souls meeting as they settled into a deeper understanding of each other.

* * *

Sometime later, Emma felt the pirate murmur against her breasts, "Your clothes are still wet."

"Well that's usually what happens when you go for an impromptu swim with some mermaids," Emma said with a small laugh. And with that the earlier tension between them dissolved as the two chuckled. "Are you planning on letting me up to change any time soon?" the blonde asked with amused exasperation.

Killian looked up at her through long eyelashes, blue eyes sparkling with mirth and delight. "Well you know, darling, I really am quite comfortable right here," he replied, moving his head further down until he was settled on top of her breasts. He gave her chest a pointed look and continued, "You wouldn't deny a man comfort after a traumatic experience now would you?"

Emma rolled her eyes at his antics. She could have easily pushed him off of her, but there was something comforting about having him pressed against her and she found that she was reluctant to let him go. Just as she was debating the merits of getting up off the floor to change her clothes versus staying exactly where she was, the decision was made for her when there was a knock on the cabin door.

"Emma? Captain? Is everything alright in there?" came Mary Margaret's muffled voice from the other side. Emma's mother sounded hesitant, as though she wasn't sure if she was interrupting something—and if she had interrupted something, she didn't want to find out what it was.

The pirate gave an irritated huff, breathing warm air between Emma's bosom. Emma smiled sympathetically. "We'll be out in a minute!" she called out to her mother. There was a shuffling sound, a muffled exclamation of "David! Get back here!" and a musical laugh before silence returned.

"I guess that's our cue." Emma sighed and motioned for the pirate to get up off of her. Killian moved reluctantly, shooting her chest a mournful look before he turned to rummage in the large cedar trunk at the foot of his bed.

The pirate stood, pulling out a pair of soft, brown leather breeches, an ivory button down silk shirt, and a black leather belt. "The shirt will probably be a bit big but it should do," Killian passed the offered clothes to the blonde and turned to allow her privacy to change—although, Emma was convinced he snuck a peak when she removed her soggy t-shirt.

When she informed him she was decent, the pirate's reaction was completely unfamiliar to her. Killian drew in a sharp breath and declared reverently, "Gods, Emma. If I'd known you'd look as good a pirate as you act, I would have put you in my clothes a long time ago."

Emma blushed at his praise but grinned at his comment. Still unused to compliments, the blonde changed the subject. "Well...let's get this show on the road and go meet your mom," she declared, pointing to the cabin door.  
The pirate let out a nervous breath, but as he placed his hand on the doorknob the blonde stopped him. Emma looked at him, trying to decide what to do, before taking a deep breath to gather her courage. She leaned up and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. "For luck," she whispered.

But rather than opening the door, Killian pulled her closer and crashed his lips into hers. Their kiss was brief but filled with hope and the promise of things to come. When he pulled away, Emma noted with some satisfaction that they were both breathing heavily.

"Now I feel lucky," the pirate breathed against her skin. He gave her hand a quick squeeze as he opened the cabin door, and they stepped into the late afternoon sun.

* * *

Author's note: sorry this took so long to get out! I had to take my computer in for repair and when the repairs didn't work I had to get a replacement. I don't know how the formatting turned out on this as I'm using a tablet and it doesn't seem to like doing the formatting the computer does. As always, please review and I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank my best friend for reading this story over Facebook chat. Until next time!


	6. Chapter 6: The Mermaid's Tale

It was awkward to say the least, when Emma and Killian joined her parents and his long lost mermaid mother on deck. Mary Margaret, ever the gracious hostess when a guest was present, had made a pot of tea and was just beginning to pass around the beverage when the pirate and the saviour arrived. The princess wore a tight, embarrassed smile, as though she had just apologized to their guest about her husband's behaviour. David glowered at the pirate, taking in Emma's very different attire, but said nothing (most likely due to the scolding his wife had given him outside the Captain's Cabin). The mermaid, on the other hand, did not seem to think anything of the awkwardness of the situation, as she looked about the ship and its crew with fascination while perched on a barrel, her fish tail flopping every so often in excitement.

"Tea! Emma, Captain, you must have some tea!" Emma's mother announced upon their arrival, shepherding them towards the mismatched seating (another barrel, two wooden stools, and a folding chair that looked suspiciously like one of the one's on the patio of Granny's diner).

Mary Margaret handed them each a mug of tea, while Killian directed Emma to the folding chair, taking the second barrel for himself. The four humans looked as uncomfortable as they felt as they began sipping at their tea.

It was Killian who broke the awkward silence after he took his first sip. "It's sweet!" He exclaimed in delight, as he turned to Mary Margaret, "How in the seven hells did you know I drank my tea sweetened?"

"I had a hunch you still like your tea with honey, and mentioned it to Snow," Ariel offered.

"You remember how I took my tea when I was just a lad? That was well over three hundred years ago," the pirate said, noticeably impressed.

"Of course I do. My memories of you have kept me surviving after all these years," the mermaid replied shakily, fighting internally to stop herself from holding her son and never letting him go. Ariel let out a sigh. "I remember every laugh, every song I sang to you, every tantrum," the mermaid gave the pirate a pointed look, while Emma bit her lip to stop the laugh that threatened to escape. She was only partially successful, as she let out a muffled snort.

Ariel turned her attention to Emma, smiling fondly as she looked between the blonde woman and the dark haired man. "How long have you two been married?" Her question caught the four humans off guard. David spat out his tea, Killian and Emma blushed crimson and stammered out a chorus of "no, we're not married," and Snow let out a sound that was a cross between a laugh and a cry of understanding.

Once everyone calmed down, the pirate answered with a degree of embarrassment, "No, mother. Emma and I are not married. We are...friends?"

"We have an understanding that goes beyond friendship, but we aren't a couple." Emma clarified.

Ariel looked almost disappointed. "Oh. Well, then. I only asked because I had hoped you would have given my pendant to a special lady—"

Killian stood abruptly, anger in his eyes. "Now see here," he raged, "Emma Swan is the most amazing lass I've ever met. She's bloody brilliant, resourceful, and fiercely loyal to her family. She fights for what she believes in, even when it is dangerous and could cost her her life. She is also an incredible mother, who has travelled across more than one realm to get back to her son. She's one of the only people to have ever bested me, and she has done so on several occasions," he carried on in a softer tone, "But above all else, she has reminded me that I could care for someone other than myself. So don't you ever tell me that Emma Swan isn't special, because she is the most special being I've ever laid eyes on."

Killian remained standing, breathing heavily. The prince was looking upon the pirate with a hint of respect, Emma was blushing into her hair line, while Mary Margaret smirked into her tea and Ariel plastered a triumphant but smug smile on her face.

"You are just like your father," the mermaid said wistfully but fondly, "All I had to do was rile him up a bit, and then he'd tell me exactly what was on his mind. It's impressive that I can still use my old tricks to get you to talk to me." Both of Emma's parents looked at the mermaid with something akin to respect and appreciation.

Killian deflated and looked between his mother and Emma, looking simultaneously impressed at having been bested again and embarrassed. He sat back down, scratching the back of his head with his hook, while Emma gave him an affectionate and sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

"Well, David and Emma, why don't you both help me tidy up the tea things?" Snow White motioned to her husband and daughter, sensing the pirate was ready to speak to his mother.

"No, please stay," Killian exclaimed, "Best to hear it all at once. And besides, I'll only be telling Emma everything later."

The blonde woman gave him an encouraging smile and nudged him slightly, moving marginally closer to act as his anchor while he addressed his mother.

The pirate returned her smile with one of his own, thankful for her steady hand and unyielding support, and he took a steadying breath. When he spoke again, his words were very soft and hinged with a desperate need to understand. "Da said you were dead. Obviously your not, but this," he gestured to the redhead's sea green tail, "I don't understand any of this. Can we start with that please?"

Ariel smiled softly but sadly. "I was born a mermaid. The Enchanted Waters of the realm you were born in were my home for a long time. But I was always fascinated by the world above the sea. I had the biggest collection of human stuff in the entire ocean, or rather I had the only collection of human stuff in the ocean," the redhead shook her head and sighed.

"Daddy, your grandfather, hated anything from up above. He outlawed all human objects and forbid any of his subjects from going to the surface. When someone disobeyed him, he let loose his wrath upon them. But he couldn't see the human people as I saw them, so I secretly made trips to the surface to try to catch a glimpse of a human. Daddy was furious when he found out and locked me in the tower. Fortunately for me, I had taught myself to pick the locks; a technique I picked up escaping my chaperones over the years. I escaped and fled to the surface. That's essentially how I met Eric, your father," the mermaid smiled fondly lost in her memories, "He had been given a ship for his birthday and was testing how she sailed. I saved him from drowning and fell in love with him that very day. But I couldn't be with him while I had fins..." Ariel sighed, "So I made a deal with Zozo, the Dark One: my voice for legs. I didn't know how I was going to communicate with Eric but I didn't care. For the first time ever, I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. Your father fell in love with me, despite the fact that he'd never heard me, and we were married. True love's kiss broke the Dark One's spell, and I had my voice back. I told him everything, and to my surprise he loved me more because of it. A year later we had you, and so began the happiest seven years of my life," the mermaid took a steadying breath and her sea blue eyes became heartbreakingly sad, "But none of us were safe. My father was livid that I had escaped and had been searching for me. When he learned that I married a human, he threatened to kill your father unless I returned to the sea. I knew then that you would never be safe if I stayed with you, and I couldn't deny you the sea. You loved to play near the water as a child and the sea brought you such joy." Tears flowed freely from the mermaid's eyes.

"I didn't want to leave you. But I wasn't going to go back to my father either. So I made another deal, this time with the Blue Fairy, to return my fins and go to waters outside of my fathers rule. But this deal came at a higher cost. The price of my request meant that I was sent here, to the waters of Neverland. I was to forever be near children, but never see my own son," Ariel sniffed as tears streamed down her face, "I know you are angry with me. You have every right to be. But you should know, Killian, that leaving you was the hardest decision I have ever had to make. But I wanted you to have your best chance at safety, and a better life."

The humans were entranced by the mermaid's tale. Snow had tears in her own eyes as she looked upon the mermaid with sympathy and understanding. Emma, who hadn't let go of the pirate's hand, rubbed small comforting circles across his palm. Killian had remained very still throughout his mother's story. Without warning, he slowly let go of Emma's hand and made his way toward his mother, wrapping her in a close hug that took her by surprise. The mermaid had been longing for this day for centuries, and now that she finally had her son back in her arms, the last dam on her emotions broke and she wept tears of joy openly, into the pirate's shoulder.

When the pirate released her with a boyish grin and a mock salute, the mermaid gave a watery laugh as she brushed away a stray tear at the corner of her son's eye. But then the pirate sobered. "What about Da?"

Ariel gave her son a questioning look. "Da left me in the middle of the night on the ship we stowed away on. He was a wanted fugitive..." Killian trailed off at his mother's sharp intake of breath.

"It is as I feared. Before I left, I made your father swear to do whatever he could to protect you from my father. Daddy must have found out about you and Eric left to keep you safe. That's the only reason he would have ever left you, Killian. You were his pride and joy."

"Then you don't know where Da is..." Killian trailed off, not wanting to sound too hopeful. Ariel was at a loss for words as to how to comfort her son.

"If your father is anything like you," Emma said quietly, "then he's surviving."

"And people in our family have this habit of finding each other. I think yours might have the same trait," David added, surprising everyone with his encouragement of the pirate.

Killian gave the prince a grateful smile. The group descended into silence once more, before Ariel spoke up again, quietly. "I saw you a few times, when you first came to Neverland as a boy, and when you returned with..."

"This you mean." The pirate finished, holding up his hook.

The mermaid nodded. "It broke my heart not being able to talk to you," she admitted sadly, "But I knew if I revealed myself you might never leave this place. Neverland has become too wild for anyone to live here happily; magic in Neverland no longer works the same way it does in other lands. And now Pan is trying to make that poor boy his shadow—"

"You've seen Henry? You've seen my son?" Emma cried out suddenly.

"Henry's _your_ lad? Oh he will be thrilled to know I've talked to you," at Emma's incredulous expression, the mermaid clarified, "I perfected the art of non-verbal communication, my dear girl. Speak with a shadow is rather simple once you have a sense of the hand gestures."

The mermaid's gaze softened, and she reached out to take Emma's hands in hers. "You helped my son, and now I am going to help you. I promise you, that I will do whatever I can to bring your son home to you. As a mother to a mother, I know the pain that comes from loosing a child." Emma murmured a heartfelt thanks.

"You said magic doesn't work the same here as it does elsewhere," Mary Margaret began slowly, "Can someone be taught the ways of magic in this realm?"

The mermaid was thoughtful for a moment. "Why yes, I suppose one could be taught Neverland's magic. But only given the proper teacher and provided they already posses magic. Do you have anyone in mind?"

"Me. I have magic, but I don't want to use it. I don't even know _how_ to use it." Emma frowned.

His mother hummed in agreement and understanding. "Well fortunately, I happen to know of someone who could teach you how to use magic the right way and how to embrace Neverland's magic," the mermaid grinned at the blonde, "Don't worry, Emma Swan, I have personal experience with the person who can teach you, and she will not tolerate any sort of Dark Magic; mischief yes, but Dark Magic no. I must go. The sooner I speak to her, the sooner we can get your boy back." Ariel said in a rush. The mermaid swept her son into a hug, planting a kiss on his brow. She whispered an "I love you" before she hopped down from the barrel and made her way to the side of the Roger. The humans rose to see her off.

"I will be in touch shortly to arrange your training and I will see what other information about Pan I can get from Henry," the redhead assured the group quickly. Just before she dove back into the waters, the mermaid turned to her son. "Oh, and Killian? I'm very glad you gave Emma my necklace." And then with a knowing grin, Ariel dove into the water and disappeared into the deep.

Snow and Charming turned to leave and returned bellow deck, but Emma and Killian stayed behind gazing out into the horizon after the mermaid. The sun had long set by the time the saviour and the pirate left the deck of the Roger, Emma holding Killian's hand all the while.

* * *

Author's Note: And so ends Chapter 6! Next chapter should be up faster than the last couple now that I have my computer back. As always, please review! See you next time!


	7. Chapter 7: Lessons

Three days later, the crew of the Jolly Roger heard a now familiar musical voice call out from the water. The group made their way to the top deck where Ariel was awaiting their arrival. Emma was the first to speak, after the pirate captain greeted his mother.

"Have you seen him? Have you seen Henry?"

"Yes, and he will keep watch over Pan and what he is planning. But that's not why I'm here, Emma. I have spoken with the fairy who will be teaching you about magic. She will be stoping by today to begin your training," the mermaid asserted.

"Ummm...Mother...what makes you so certain that a _fairy_ is the best choice of instructor? Fairies are...well...unreliable at best," Killian asked uncertainly.

"For the simple reason, my son, that she did a fairly good job watching over you when you first came to Neverland,"

The pirate gave the mermaid a confused look, before his eyes widened in shock and understanding. "You can't mean...no. Not her. You can't be serious!"

Emma and her parents looked between mother and son, completely lost. It was David who spoke up, concerned for his daughter's well-being. "If _Hook's_ concerned, then I don't know if Emma should be learning magic from this fairy. Who is this fairy anyways?"

"See for yourself," the mermaid replied, waving her delicate hand in the direction of a fast approaching ball of light.

Closer and closer the light came, until it settled on top of the bannister leading up to the helm. There was a bright flash, and then, "ME!" the light shouted. Only, the light was no longer a light. Instead, a petite blonde dressed in green stood balanced on the bannister, one arm up in the air and the other on her hip, looking very pleased with herself as she struck her pose.

"Hello, Tinkerbell!" the mermaid greeted cheerfully.

"Hiya Ariel!" the fairy exclaimed in delight. The curly haired blonde hopped down from her perch and made her way towards Emma and Killian, both of whom had identical expressions of concern on their faces. "You!" she shouted, pointing her index finger at Killian who began to back away slowly, "You, mister pirate captain, are in serious trouble! _You_ never told me you were back in Neverland! That's the _second_ time I've found out you came back here from your _mother_! Now how does that make _me_ look as your one and only fairy godmother? Hmmm?"

Killian looked from Tinkerbell to his mother, a wary look in his eyes. Ariel, who had been hiding a smile behind her hands, rescued her son from further embarrassment. "I named Tink your godmother just after I arrived in Neverland. Tinkerbell is an expert at traveling between realms, and she seemed the ideal candidate for someone to watch over you when I could not. Granted, her watchful eye would have been more useful if you didn't insist on jumping from realm to realm on this enchanted boat of yours—"

"It's a ship!" cried Emma and Killian simultaneously, looking quite scandalized at the mermaid's mislabeling.

Tinkerbell, who had been frowning at the pirate, suddenly turned her attention to the saviour. The fairy's eyes brightened and she flung her arms around the other woman. "Oh you must be Emma! Ariel's told me all about you! Oh this is so exciting! We are going to become such good friends! I can just feel it!" the fairy gushed enthusiastically, to Emma's surprise and mild discomfort.

"Is she always this...excitable?" the saviour muttered out of the corner of her mouth to the pirate.

"Worse, lass. Much worse," he replied, paling slightly.

"I heard that!" the fairy said in a sing-song voice, still latched onto Emma like the barnacles on the Roger's hull. She finally released the saviour, stepping back slightly but keeping her hands on her arms.

"Now, let me take a look at you..." the fairy inspected Emma closely for a brief moment, "Yes, you'll do wonderfully. This is going to be so much fun!" the fairy giggled, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Come on! Come on! Come on!" she squealed pulling Emma away from the others into the center of the Roger's top deck, "We have to start with your first lesson now and—"

"TINK!" the pirate bellowed, and the fairy snapped her head in his direction. Killian continued at a lower volume, but his voice maintained the previous intensity, "Go a bit slower, will you? Emma's got magic and even _she_ can't understand you when you go off like that!"

The fairy pouted, sulking at the reprimand. "Fine," she huffed. Tink turned back to Emma and began again at a much slower and less excited pace, "The first thing you need to know about magic is that it runs off of emotions: if you are angry, your spell will be angry; if you are happy, your spell will reflect your joy, and so on. But in Neverland, magic runs through your belief in it—wishing magic if you prefer. Now, it is believed that Neverland's magic runs this way due to its higher population of fairies compared to other realms; one of the most common forms of Fay Magic is the magic of wish granting." Tink began to pace in front of Emma while the others settled themselves off to the side to watch.

"So, the most important lesson I can teach you about Neverland's magic is that there are no rules: anything is possible in Neverland. If you wish it, and you believe it, you can make it happen. Got that?" the fairy asked the blonde.

"I think so. Wish it, want it, do it."

The fairy sighed. "Not quite. Almost but...you don't really believe it. Not yet anyway. Look...let's try this instead. You're going to learn how to fly today," at Emma's dubious expression, Tinkerbell continued, "The only people on this island who know how to fly are the fairies and Pan. You are at a distinct disadvantage when you are on the ground fighting someone fifty feet above you. So, we have to put you on Pan's level. Right? Good! Alright, let's see...Killian!" Tink bounced over the the pirate, and tugged him by his shirt sleeve over to Emma.

"So! Here's how this will work. Killian, you are going to duel Emma. And Emma you are going to try to fly away from his attacks." Tink beamed, clearly pleased with herself for coming up with this teaching method.

"Okay," Emma said slowly, "How?"

The fairy gave an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. She looked up again, and spoke with the patience of a parent explaining a simple subject to a child. "You have to _believe_ that you can fly. Think of something wonderful, something that makes you completely happy. And use that thought to believe that you can do it. Alright?"

"We'll go slowly at first, love." Killian encouraged.

Emma looked doubtful, but drew her sword. The pirate, who had drawn his own sword, began to circle her, looking for a good opening shot. When his first attack came, she wasn't at all prepared. Emma promptly forgot all about her magic and focused solely on trying to block his attacks.

"You're trying too hard!" she heard the fairy yell from the sidelines, "Stop thinking about the fight and start thinking about your magic! Don't think about how to block his attacks, think about how to stop them from happening in the first place!"

_Well, that is completely unhelpful_, Emma thought sourly muttering a curse under her breath as the pirate's sword clanged against hers again. _Okay, think Emma, think! To stop his attacks I have to stop...his sword?_ Killian sidestepped, sending another attack her way. Emma broke her train of thought to block it. _Urg! Could this be any more annoying? I'm already getting my ass kicked by him! Stupid handsome pirate, with his fancy graceful footsteps! He looks like he's floating on air when he fights...does he always float like that? Or is it only on his ship?...FOCUS EMMA! _Another dodge and a parried attack. _This would be so much easier if I was as light as a feather! Wait!_

The blonde clamped her eyes shut and concentrated on her thoughts. For several minutes she felt nothing, but at Mary Margaret's gasp of surprise, she snapped her eyes open. But instead of facing the group on the Roger's deck, Emma was floating several feet above them.

"Emma, you're doing it!" came the proud voice of her father. Ariel beamed at the blonde while Tinkerbell looked impressed. But it was the pirate's reaction that Emma sought.

Killian gazed up at her in awe for a moment before crowing proudly, "Blimey, Emma! Brilliant! Absolutely bloody brilliant!" Emma grinned and gave him a mock salute, which he returned with a smirk.

"Now that you know how to get up there," Killian purred mischievously, "Let's put this new talent to use, with a rematch of our previous duel."

Emma flushed, recalling their fight at Lake Nostros. "Say your prayers, Jones!" The saviour challenged, tilting her head slightly to swoop down to engage the pirate again. Although still vastly inexperienced compared to the pirate she was fighting, Emma's new talent gave her an advantage. The blonde flew in circles around Killian, making him second guess where she was going to strike next. He still managed to fend off each of her attacks but, unlike at Lake Nostros, he had to work at it.

Killian was so focused on the task at hand that he failed to notice the raised floorboard before he stumbled, knocking him backwards towards the deck. Emma, who noticed his rapid descent, flew to catch him but lost track of her thoughts sending them both crashing to the floor. The blonde landed with an "Omph" on top of the pirate, her hands splayed on his chest to break her fall.

The stunned pirate gazed up at the blonde. Both were breathing heavily; whether this was from exertion from their fight and fall or their close proximity neither knew. They were both so wrapped up in each other that they failed to notice Tinkerbell's mischievous grin and the wave of magic that sent the floorboard back to it's original position.

"I stand corrected, Swan," Killian breathed huskily, "There are several enjoyable activities that I prefer to do with a woman on top of me..."

Emma blushed but leaned in closer—

"Ahem!" David cleared his throat loudly and the spell between the saviour and the pirate was broken. They scrambled off of each other, each sporting sheepish grins, while David frowned at them. Ariel and Mary Margaret tried to hide their amusement, while Tinkerbell looked sulky.

"So...that went well," Emma declared nervously.

"Yes. You've done very well for your first time at it!" Mary Margaret praised.

"But now we really do need to work on your swordsmanship, lass. You can't go around swinging that thing like a club," Killian noted cheekily.

"Well forgive me for not having been raised with a weapon in my hand from day one!" Emma countered.

"Shall we try it again then? I bet I can disarm you in less than ten minutes," the pirate stated. His tone was cocky, but his eyes betrayed his jest.

Catching on, Emma replied, "You're on, Killian Jones!" And with that, their duel began anew. This one more playful than the last. Emma flew upwards out of the pirate's reach, before swooping down and tapping him on the head. Killian countered by climbing the mast to get a better height advantage. The two took the duel throughout the Jolly Roger's main deck and up the mast, into the mainsails.

Far bellow them, Emma's parents and Killian's mother looked upon their respective children fondly as they fought.

"I'm thinking a spring wedding," Tinkerbell stated seriously.

David spun around to look at the fairy in horror. Ariel looked thoughtful, while Snow shook her head, smiling. "If you saw them when we first met Killian, you'd have sworn they had been married for years. Especially before the beanstalk..."

"Beanstalk? What beanstalk? Snow we never talked about this!" came David's nervous reply.

"Oh hush, David! Let them have some fun." Mary Margaret placated her husband. But once he turned to look back up at his daughter and the pirate, the princess gave Ariel a knowing look, and the two smiled secretively to themselves.

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Author's Note: So here is chapter 7! I hope you all enjoyed this. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. As always, please review! Up next, we have an appearance by Rumple!


	8. Chapter 8: Interlude

He slunk through the jungle, a panther on the prowl in the night. He moved with determination, his eyes glinting in the moonlight peaking through the foliage. The limp he once possessed had abated the moment they arrived in Neverland, allowing him to move with his former grace. He paused just before he got to the clearing, waiting for his prey. There was a sudden flash of golden light as he strode into the Fairy Glade. A male fairy appeared from the light and held up a hand to halt the intruder. His brown hair and dark green ensemble camouflaged him well in the darkened forest, save for the pale golden glow surrounding him.

"These are sacred grounds, dark wizard, you may not trespass here," the guard declared in a warning tone.

Rumplestiltskin ignored him and carried onwards, inching closer to the fairy.

"Halt! You may not pass into the Glade!" the guard said again.

Rumplestiltskin stopped directly in front of the fairy guard. In one swift move, he thrust his hand into the fairy's chest. The guard groaned in pain and the light surrounding him began to fade into nothingness.

"Actually, Dearie," the wizard declared in a mocking voice, "I don't need to pass you to get what I came for." And with a sharp tug, Rumplestiltskin held the fairy's glowing heart in his hand.

The guard fell to his knees, gasping for breath. The fairy looked upon the wizard in disgust and horror, as the wizard inspected his prize.

"Sorry, Dearie, but I'll be needing this for a while. You'll hardly miss it!" Rumplestiltskin exclaimed, waving his hand over the pulsing heart, causing it to shrink in size as a golden casing wrapped around it. A second wave of his hand linked the fairy's encased heart to a gold chain. Rumplestiltskin placed the chain around his neck, as flecks of gold scales began to mar his pale skin.

"You will not get away with this demon. To kill a fairy is the most heinous act a person can commit in Neverland!" the fairy hissed as he began to weaken further.

"Kill a fairy? Now who said anything about killing you?" Rumplestiltskin tittered before he snapped his fingers. A swirl of red smoke surrounded the fairy. When the smoke cleared a red rose lay in place of the guard. The Dark One giggled wildly, picking up the rose. He looked down upon the red bloom, a hint of sadness creeping into his scaling features. "One last act of wickedness, Belle. One last act of wickedness, to do a world of good." The Dark One sighed dolefully. He placed the rose in the lapel of his alligator skin coat and cast a final glance around the Fairy Glade. The Dark One turned on his heel and disappeared in a cloud of red smoke, his black eyes and golden scales glittering in the moonlight.

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Author's Note: This is a much shorter chapter, but I felt we needed to see what Rumple had been up to. Oh and in case I haven't mentioned it, as you probably have guessed I don't own OUAT or Neverland. You know the drill: please review and I will hopefully have the next chapter out by tomorrow. Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9: Hearts Beat in the Night

Author's Note: I'm putting this first today because I want to post the rating warning. **This particular chapter is M rated for sex. **Please keep this in mind when you are reading. If this bothers you, please, PLEASE skip this chapter. The remainder of this story will return to a T rating in the next chapter. So, if you are still with me, on with the story!

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Killian Jones was convinced that he was going to hell. And it would be entirely Emma Swan's fault. Here he was trying to do the right thing by finding her son, and all he had been able to think about for the last week was pushing her up against the nearest hard surface and kissing her senseless.

Ever since he had met the impossibly amazing lass, he hadn't been able to get her out of his head. Things had gotten worse since he officially decided to become a part of something more than his selfish desire for revenge. The pirate and the flaxen haired saviour had slowly begun to trust each other, and they became bound by their mutual understanding of the other. The fact that Killian was also physically attracted to the blonde beauty from Storybrooke, did not help matters in the slightest. His initial thoughts of her focused on her stubbornness and her resourcefulness; he had admired her courage and her willingness to fight for what she wanted. But now his thoughts had taken on a lustful quality.

He prided himself on his self control, but being close to her was becoming more straining day by day. He found himself longing to hold her in his arms, to feel her curves pressed against him as he tangled his fingers in her golden hair. _Pirates do like gold after all_, Killian mused thoughtfully.

Whenever he was close to her, he greedily stayed as closely pressed against her as he could. But it was getting harder and harder to pull away afterwards. He was fine when he took her to see the mermaids. He was fine when she leaned in to kiss him after he gave her his mother's necklace—and he hadn't kissed a woman in almost three hundred years! Hell, even when he kissed her briefly before he talked to his mother, he was able to pull himself together—although admittedly, he couldn't resist kissing her mouth, after all, he was a pirate.

But ever since their sword fight where she had fallen on top of him, his self control had been continuously plucked like a harp. Seeing her lying above him, sunlight gleaming through her hair, had sent him into a frenzy as he pictured her naked, breasts bouncing and head thrown back in ecstasy as the imaginary Killian pleasured her endlessly. Had the prince not interrupted his fantasy, the pirate was convinced he would have taken her right there on the deck of his ship. Really, the prince should fucking knight him for the amount of control he possessed!

Things had only gotten worse for him when his mother led the Roger's crew to a secluded lagoon away from the Lost Ones' camp to see Henry. Emma had been remarkably strong throughout the whole affair, murmuring comforting words to the Shadow Henry who couldn't reply with his own encouragement. But as soon as the group had returned to the ship and parted their separate ways for the night, Emma had come knocking on his door with tears in her eyes as she flung her arms around him. Killian, who had the distinct impression that Emma had rarely if ever cried in front of another person, had held her as she wept. But as he comforted the distraught blonde, the pirate couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked when she cried, crystal tears falling from her blue-green eyes that reminded him of the sea. He simultaneously loathed himself for taking pleasure at her distress, but couldn't look away from her. Had it not been for the fact that she was weeping, he would have thought he'd died and gone to heaven having her pressed against him,—practically in his lap—her head on his shoulder, and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. So yes, Killian Jones was convinced he was going to hell, and if he were being honest with himself, he wouldn't have it any other way. Not if Emma Swan was the reason.

His musings on his magnificent Swan girl were interrupted as he began to feel the now very familiar tightening in his pants. He looked down and raised an eyebrow, silently questioning his body for betraying him...again; his body had been traitorous a lot lately and he was seriously considering investing in a pair of trousers that were not made of leather. He was considering which one of his numerous fantasies involving Emma and himself that he wanted to recall in order to take care of his problem, when the object of his desires unceremoniously came bursting through the door of his cabin. Her sudden entrance and his embarrassment at (almost) being caught in a compromising position made him jump to his feet out of his desk chair.

The flaxen haired woman strode towards him purposefully, breathing heavily.

"Did Tinkerbell put a spell on me?" she demanded of him.

_You certainly put one on me_, the pirate thought. "Come again, love," Killian asked. _Or just let me come period_, he thought.

The blonde huffed and began to pace the room. The pirate both loved and hated it when she walked away from him, her hair swishing in time with her hips. "Tinkerbell. She'd have told you if she put a spell on me, right? You guys were close?"

"Not _that_ close, darling. Tink was a lot like my older sister when I lived in Neverland with the Lost Boys; loyal certainly, but she was always up to something. But what's got you thinking the fairy has cast some sort of spell on you?"

Emma huffed again and fidgeted with the hem of her borrowed shirt, her breathing more erratic and her face flushing. "Ever since I started learning how to use magic with her, I have become more in tune with my magic. I know what it feels like, I can see it out of the corner of my eye. But at the same time, I've felt...like there were butterflies in my stomach. Not just when I'm using magic, but all the time."

_Now you know how I feel every time you walk into the room,_ he thought. "Could be nerves, love," Killian suggested.

"No, it's not nerves. It's...this is going to sound absolutely crazy, but I only feel like this when I'm away from..." Emma trailed off, looking downwards.

"Away from who, Emma?" the pirate murmured, barely breathing in anticipation and hope.

"You," the saviour breathed out, her sea green eyes meeting his ocean blue ones. There was suddenly not enough oxygen in the room as the two looked intently at each other. The pirate received no other warning before Emma closed the space between them and crushed her lips to his.

Killian wasted no time in wrapping both of his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer; she would never be close enough for him to be satisfied. It was Emma who first pressed her tongue delicately against his lips, silently begging for entrance. He happily obliged her, and a duel of a different sort began.

He explored her mouth with precise movements, wanting to savour every crevice. Emma moved backwards and hopped up on his desk, not breaking their embrace. There was a clatter as several objects on his desk fell crashing to the floor, but Killian couldn't have cared less, not when _his_ Swan girl—yes, she was very much going to be his, because he had no intention of letting her go—wrapped her long legs around his waist. His arousal, straining painfully now against the laces of his leather trousers, was now pressed against her core.

Killian broke away from his exploration of Emma's mouth to trail tender, warm kisses down her neck and collarbone. He fulfilled a second fantasy when he tangled his good hand in her golden hair, moving it from one side to the other to gain better access to her lovely, long neck. The pirate nipped, and sucked, and pressed languid kisses along her décolletage which left her breathless and she hummed her approval.

He halted in his oral study of her neck when he felt her hands fumbling for the laces of his trousers. "Not here," he whispered against her skin, and her hands stilled. The pirate moved her hands from his pants to wrap them securely around his neck. Ensuring that her legs were also wrapped around him, he lifted her from the desk, once more pressing tender but hungry kisses against her lips, as he carried her across the room towards his bed.

When his knees hit the bed, Killian gently lowered Emma onto the soft sheets, her gold locks forming a halo around her head. To Emma's surprise, the pirate just looked at her lying on his bed for a moment, her face flushed and breath coming in pants. The saviour gently took his hook in her hand, pressing a kiss to the curve, as she pulled him towards her.

Killian settled himself between her thighs, and slowly began to unbutton her shirt, revealing more of her creamy skin to his unyielding gaze. She, in turn, began to work the buttons off of his shirt, tracing his scars with a delicate finger as she went. Their shirts hit the floor in unison.

The pirate studied her for a moment with a predatory gaze before latching onto her breast, kissing and nibbling and sucking, raising her nipples into firm peaks. Breaking away with an irritated whine from Emma, Killian methodically showered her neglected breast with the same attention, as the blonde ran her fingers through his hair clutching him to her chest. The both quickly divested themselves of their remaining clothing, completely knocking down the remainder of their defenses and leaving them entirely honest and vulnerable to the other.

He laved hot, open mouthed kisses from her breasts to her mouth, down her stomach, towards the apex of her thighs. But just before he got right where she wanted him, he gave her a devilish smirk and a wink, his path moving away from her core and down her leg. The pirate made sure he left no inch of skin un-kissed, worshipping the golden saviour who brought him out of the darkness into the light; his candle in a coal mine. Killian trailed his hook deftly and gently after his mouth, the cool metal contrasting with the warmth of his caresses, leaving Emma writhing beneath him, moisture pooling in between her legs.

Just when she thought she would die from pleasure without actually having felt him, she felt his mouth against her folds. She gasped as he slipped two fingers into her wet heat and tongued her sex. Killian gazed up at her from hooded eyes, watching her come apart at the seams, and loving that it was he who could make her look that way.

As she screamed her release, he moved swiftly from her core to her mouth, silencing her scream of pleasure. He watched in fascination and pleasure as she came down from her high, giving him a contented but shy smile. Killian tenderly brushed his lips against hers, before bumping his nose against hers, causing her to laugh softly in a moment of pure joy.

Her warm eyes met his, and she drew him back in for another kiss, opening her legs wider as he settled between her thighs once more. He caught her eye, silently asking her permission. Emma nodded her assent, and the pirate slowly slid into her, burying himself to the hilt.

They both groaned in pleasure, he at her warmth and her at the fullness she felt with him inside of her. He was still for a moment, as they both adjusted to the sensation of joining together. Not even Killian's wildest fantasies could compare to what the reality of being with Emma would actually be like. When he finally began to move within her, his strokes were agonizingly slow; this was partially to ensure the blonde beauty beneath him was completely sated, and partially to ensure that he would be able to last. Thinking about Emma combined with the fact that he hadn't been with a woman since Milah, left him extra cautious to guarantee that his first time with Emma lasted the way he wanted it to.

Emma allowed his slow pace, quite different from her few one-night-stands which ended as quickly as they started, matching him thrust for thrust. Their connection transcended beyond the physical into something deeper than she could explain. The "butterflies" that flitted through her when the pirate wasn't around had long since abated, becoming a warmth within her that settled near her heart.

Killian showered kisses along her neck, as Emma gave breathy sighs beneath him for every thrust. The pirate could feel his release coming, but refused to sate himself before Emma had been fully satisfied. He picked up his pace ever so slightly, the saviour's sighs becoming pants and she wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him closer. Emma chanted his name, his given name, and he thought it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard coming from her swollen lips.

The saviour arched her back, her lips parted in a silent scream as her climax came crashing through her, like the waves upon the shore. Killian murmured her name like a prayer as he too fell over the edge. Neither noticed the pulse of white light that flooded the room with a warm glow.

The pirate continued to whisper her name against her glistening skin, raining soft and tender kisses along her face. Emma beamed at him all the while, gazing at him with a deep affection.

With a final kiss to her mouth, Killian rolled off of her, pulling the blonde into his side. Emma curled up against him as he blew out the bedside lantern. They closed their eyes, sated and contented smiles on their lips.

* * *

Sometime later, Emma opened her eyes. The Captain's Cabin was still submerged in darkness but the saviour could just make out the outline of the pirate lying peacefully beside her.

"Killian," Emma whispered, her mouth barely moving as she didn't want to wake the slumbering man, "I know that we have to focus on getting Henry home, and that this wasn't something that either of us planned for tonight. I don't regret it. Not in a million years. But I thought that you should know that, for reasons I'm still trying to figure out, I'm in love with you. I love you, Captain Killian Jones. I don't know why, but I do. And nothing is going to stop me from loving you." The saviour placed a soft kiss to the pirate's chest and snuggled closer to him once more, sleep finally taking her for the night.

In the darkness, Captain Killian Jones smiled widely and pressed a kiss to his saviour's temple. He hugged her tightly and joined her in the land of dreams, two people finding love and happiness for the first time in a very long while.

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Author's note take 2: So if you made it here, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always please review and I will see ya later!


	10. Chapter 10: Morning Wake Up Calls

Emma awoke to the sunlight streaming through the porthole. She was tightly pressed against Killian's side with both of his arms wrapped around her, cocooning her in his warmth. The saviour blinked, willing the sun to go away to let her savour this moment of contentment before reality came crashing down around her. She really should get out of bed and return to the crew's cabins before anyone woke up. She was just debating how best to go about moving without waking her sleeping pirate—_oh yes, after last night, she wasn't going to let anyone else have him. He was going to be hers and she would definitely be his...just not while her father still looked at Killian like he wanted to throw him overboard_—when she felt his arms tighten around her.

"Don't you dare move," Killian mumbled sleepily, his eyes still closed.

Emma laughed softly as he nuzzled his nose in her hair. "If I don't get up, my parents will find us here. And while mom might be cool with this," she gestured between the two of them, "My dad will happily shoot you in the face."

The pirate hummed, caressing her neck with open mouthed kisses. "Let him. I will gladly face the fearsome prince to win the hand of my lady fair." She laughed openly first at him, and then with him as he playfully nipped at the junction between her neck and shoulder. Emma captured his lips when he came to bump his nose against hers, languidly teasing and exploring his mouth.

She smiled against his lips when they broke apart. "Good morning," she whispered contentedly.

"It most certainly is," Killian replied roguishly, rolling over to pull her on top of him. Their kisses and caresses were just about to become heated when a harsh, eerie voice broke the mood in the Captain's Cabin.

"Your antics are doing nothing for my seasickness, dearies."

Emma let out a cry of surprise as Killian pulled her behind him, blocking the saviour from the intruder's view as much as possible.

"How long have you been here, crocodile?" Killian's eye were murderous, but his voice betrayed a hint of fear. _Crocodile? Wait!_ Emma thought.

"Gold?" Emma asked aloud in shock.

The Dark One hopped down from the Captain's chair, and swept her a mocking bow. "Quite right, dearie! Allow me to introduce my other half, Rrrumplestiltskin." The pirate glowered at the Dark One, who merely let out a giggle that raised the hairs on the back of Emma's neck.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here, Gold!" Emma fumed, clutching the blankets to her chest while keeping a restraining hand on Killian's shoulder. Emma could feel the tension radiating from the pirate's body, his shoulders shaking ever so subtly in rage. The saviour stroked soothing patterns up and down the pirate's back, causing his taut muscles to relax slightly.

The Dark One's lip curled upwards, "Well I certainly didn't come back here to promote your twu wuv. And here I thought you would be worried about poor, young Henry" he mocked. Killian breathed in angrily while Emma gave off a sound that resembled a growl. She could see her magic glowing white hot, fogging the corners of her eyes, and then her control snapped. She let out a burst of energy directing it towards the Dark One and knocking him off of his feet.

"What do you want, Gold?" she asked again, not bothering to contain her anger anymore.

The Dark One nimbly got to his feet. "I came here to discuss the key to unlocking your magic, but from your little _display_," he said display as if it were a contagious disease, "You have already grasped the concept."

"That's right, crocodile. Emma doesn't need you. She was able to learn how to use magic from someone who is good and pure; characteristics I am certain you lack." Killian exclaimed proudly.

"Enough both of you!" Emma stressed as the men continued to glare at each other, "This is neither the time nor the place to have this fight. Gold, get the hell out of here so we can get dressed and then we can talk about getting Henry back...and whatever the hell happened to you to get you to look like that!" The Dark One let out a mock cry of outrage, dramatically placing his hand to his chest. Killian continued to look murderous and let out a low growl at the Dark One's blatant disrespect of Emma.

"Killian," Emma warned the pirate quietly, her hand resuming its path up and down his back.

"Death's still not in the cards for you, dearie, but if you're not careful it could be. So be a good pirate and listen to the _princess_, _the saviour_! We wouldn't want your cards to change, now would we?" Rumplestiltskin smirked at Killian nastily.

"Get out Gold!" Emma barked out once more. The Dark One let out one final mocking cackle before he disappeared in a puff of red smoke.

The moment the Dark One was out of sight, Killian collapsed against the pillows, shaking with rage.

"So, that was the infamous Rumplestiltskin..." Emma mused. The pirate nodded his head, his good hand clenching and unclenching into a fist. "Then I completely understand why you wanted to kill him," the blonde continued seriously, "That laugh gives me the creeps."

Killian blinked at her in shock and fascination. Slowly, but surely a smile broke out on his face as he let out a deep chuckle. Emma flopped back beside him with a grin, pleased that she was able to make him laugh and ease the tension.

"It is rather annoying isn't it?" the pirate laughed. Emma smiled widely.

"And the princess comment was a little off base, don't you think? After all, I was a thief and then a bounty hunter before I became the Storybrooke sheriff. Not exactly princess material. And before you ask, I promise you I will tell you the stories later," the blonde added at the pirate's eager expression.

"Too right, lass. But I knew you'd make one hell of a pirate!"

Emma grinned again and pressed her lips to his, sending an electric current through them both. This kiss affirmed everything they felt the night before and solidified their bond.

Eventually, Emma pulled back, to Killian's dismay. "Come on, Captain, up and at em'! Let's go see what he has to say before he decides to torture us further by telling my father about our exploits!"

With a final kiss and a rougish grin, the pirate extracted himself from the blonde's arms and the two scrambled about the cabin, gathering their clothes to face the reality of the morning sun.

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you all enjoyed this! This one was fun but a bit tough to write because the characters would't do what I wanted them to do. But all's well that ends well. You know the drill, please review and let me know what you think! I hope to see you all tomorrow!


	11. Chapter 11: A Close Fight

When Killian and Emma emerged from the Captain's Cabin, they found Snow White talking down a furious looking Prince Charming. while Rumplestiltskin looked on gleefully. If it weren't for the fact that her parents were almost certainly discussing her and her recent tryst with the captain, Emma probably would have collapsed laughing. Her musings were interrupted when her father broke away from Snow White's hold and came striding towards the pirate. Fortunately, Killian, now used to being on the business end of the prince's fist, ducked just as David swung a punch at the pirate's face.

"I think your parents know, love!" Killian piped up, as he ducked a second time. _Gee, you think!_ Emma thought sarcastically.

"Whoa! Dad!" Emma shouted as her father brought his hand back again to take a another shot at Killian's face, "Dad, stop it! Daddy, no!" Her last exclamation caught her father's attention, and the prince turned to face his daughter.

"Emma," he began in a warning tone.

"No, Dad. I'm twenty-nine years old. I can sleep with whomever I want!" David cringed at the thought of anyone sleeping with his daughter. The saviour continued more quietly, "I know you kinda missed out on the whole 'protective father thing,' and I appreciate that you are trying now. But now is not the time to channel your fatherly instincts and beat the crap out of the man who is helping us find Henry."

The prince looked at his daughter, almost as if he was seeing her as an adult for the first time. He placed his hands on his hips, breathing a heavy sigh as he looked down at the deck. When he looked back up at Emma, her eyes pleading with him to understand, he sighed sadly and nodded. "He makes you happy?"

"Undeniably so," Emma exclaimed proudly.

The prince nodded again before turning and leaning in closer to the pirate. "You and I are going to have a little chat later, just to make a few things _perfectly clear_ in regards to how you treat Emma. Let's call it...going over the ground rules for courting my daughter. Do we understand each other?" David said quietly so that only Killian could hear him, leaving no room for argument. The prince clapped the pirate hard on the shoulder, in a gesture that looked friendly but left Killian fighting a pained grimace.

"Alright then," Snow White drawled, looking apprehensively between her husband and the pirate, "Now that everyone has been sufficiently embarrassed for one day, let's move on to the more important subject of getting Henry back. Gold, what have you found out?" The princess took charge and directed everyone's attention to the golden skinned wizard.

Rumplestiltskin inclined his head to Emma's mother, but just as he opened his mouth to speak a high pitched squeal and a flash of light fluttered through the Roger's sails, landing directly in front of Emma and Killian. Tinkerbell raced forwards and flung her arms around the saviour and the pirate, squealing and giggling as she went.

"I knew it! I knew it! _I knew it!_ I just knew you two would figure things out and get together!" the fairy squealed happily, as released the couple and proceeded to jump up and down in excitement. "Oh and that flash of magic last night! I tell you, I haven't seen anything light up the night sky that brightly since the time Ariel found those fireworks and burnt down half the jungle not knowing what they were!" Tinkerbell gushed, laughing at the memory.

Emma and Killian looked at the fairy in horror as she continued to babble excitedly about their romantic exploits. Tinkerbell carried on, completely oblivious to her less than amused audience. "Have you said you love each other yet? Did Killian say it first or did Emma? I want to know—no!—I _need_ to know everything!"

"Uhhhh..." both the pirate and the saviour stammered out simultaneously. Their identical expressions and tone only fueled the fairy's enthusiasm, and she let out another deafening high pitched scream of excitement.

"Really, dearie! If you keep that up, you're likely to deafen all of us!" Rumplestiltskin bellowed over the fairies screeching, his hands clapped protectively over his ears. Tinkerbell stopped mid-squeal to scold the man for interrupting her excitement, but the words died on her lips as she caught sight of the golden medallion around his neck.

The fairy's eyes narrowed and she let out a cry of rage as she flew at the Dark One. Rumplestiltskin disappeared and reappeared on the other side of the ship with a giggle. Tinkerbell sent a blast of light at the Dark One as she shouted obscenities at him.

"Thief! Traitor! You wretched fool! Do you know what you have done?!" the fairy cried furiously as Rumplestiltskin dodged her attacks.

"Of course I know what I've done, dearie! That was sort of the reason for doing it!" the Dark One chortled.

"Shouldn't we do something? She's liable to kill him!" Snow said worriedly to her fellow human spectators.

"Let her," Killian mumbled happily under his breath, but schooled his features into a less gleeful expression at Emma and David's warning look.

Emma huffed in annoyance and turned to the pirate. "You know if she keeps missing him, she's going to hit the ship. You remember the scorch marks I made when she taught me that trick," the saviour pointed to the lightning rays the fairy had begun to shooting.

Killian nodded soberly, his eyes wide in understanding. "Alright Tink! That's enough! You've had your fun! Now, _stop throwing things at my ship_!" The pirate beseeched as he strode over to the irate fairy. Tinkerbell stopped throwing her magical attacks at the Dark One but kept her blue eyes trained on him.

"You don't understand, Killian. His actions cannot go unpunished. I would rather die than let him get away with what he's done!" the fairy vowed, preparing to send another blast of energy towards the Dark One.

"The crocodile has done a lot of things, Tink. You are going to have to be more specific." Killian advised seriously.

Tinkerberll sucked in a breath. "He took a fairy's heart."

"He what!?" the pirate rounded on the Dark One, as David drew out his sword and Snow gasped in shock. Fairy, pirate, and prince began to stalk towards the Dark One, who merely raised an eyebrow at the advancing party.

Emma, sensing that a fight was about to ensue, put her fingers to her lips and whistled sharply to gain their attention.

"Alright! That is enough! Everybody needs to _shut the hell up_! I want somebody to explain to me how taking a fairy's heart is any different than all the other times Gold has taken a heart. And then I want to know how Gold taking another heart is relevant to _getting Henry back_!" Emma bellowed, startling everyone with her assertiveness.

"Emma," Snow began slowly, "Taking a fairy's heart is one of worst crimes imaginable. It's said that to do so, means sacrificing a piece of your soul."

"When you take a fairy's heart, you take the source of their energy. The fairy dies slowly and painfully, as their magic is drained from them," Tinkerbell continued darkly, "Fairies are born from a child's first laugh, out of the purest magic. To destroy something so pure...it's unforgivable." The fairy shook her head. Emma looked upon the group in silence, torn between joining them and trying to keep the peace.

"In case any one cares, I didn't kill the bloke," Rumplestiltskin confessed, looking unamused. Everyone turned to look at him, and the Dark One shrugged unashamed. "I took the sprite's heart, but I got to him in time," he pointed to the rose on his lapel, " I needed to make my magic work here, otherwise there's no way I can help get the boy back." At Tinkerbell's unconvinced look, Rumplestiltskin hastened to add, "Of course I'm not going to keep the heart once we have the boy. Think of the fairy's heart as being...on loan. Once Henry has been safely returned to his family, I'll change the fairy back, return his heart, and we can all have our happy ending." The Dark One said the words "happy ending" in a sarcastic tone.

There was a pause. The Dark One looked upon the group challengingly, waiting for one of them to react negatively.

"Okay," everyone turned to look at Emma and Rumplestiltskin gaped at her. "You like making deals so here's one for you. Judging from how Tink reacted to your crime, I'm guessing the other fairies aren't going to be too happy with you when and if they find out about the heart. So here's the deal. We offer you protection for when the fairies come after you—and I can guarantee they are going to come after you—and you give the heart back to the fairy the moment we have Henry back safely." Emma offered.

"Best make that deal a bit more specific, darling." Killian mouthed quietly.

"As soon as Henry is safely away from the Lost Ones and is no longer a Shadow." Emma clarified.

"And we're not being shot at!" David interjected quickly.

"What Dad said," Emma confirmed. She returned her attention to Rumplestiltskin, "So, do we have a deal?" The saviour held out her hand for the Dark One.

"And just what sort of protection can _you_ offer _me_?" Rumplestiltskin questioned.

Surprisingly, it was Killian who answered. "You'd be surprised how far my word will go with the fairies in Neverland." the pirate said cryptically as Tinkerbell nodded in agreement.

"And if you don't agree to this," Emma added, "We will send the fairies after you right now. So you have a choice, Gold. You can either agree to our terms and help me find my son, or you can get out of my way."

Rumplestiltskin hesitated for a moment, then appeared directly in front of Emma. "You, Princess Emma, have got yourself a deal," he giggled out, shaking her hand. Emma frowned, both in annoyance at the moniker and in surprise at how quickly Gold agreed to their terms, but she had more important things to think about.

"Okay. Now that that's been dealt with, can we please focus? If we are going to find Henry, we have got to start working together." The saviour received nods of approval and an enthusiastic "Aye!" from Killian. "Alright. So, I think the first thing we need to do is find Regina and bring her up to speed. We can't leave without her anyways, and finding Henry is just as important to her as it is to me."

"Regina? As in Cora's daughter Regina?" Tinkerbell asked the saviour, eyes wide.

"Yeah, she's kind of Henry's other mom. It's a long story...a very long story. How do you—"

"Leave finding her to me. I can find anybody in Neverland." Tinkerbell cut the saviour off and shot into the air without another word, flitting off in search of the Queen.

"Well that was...different now wasn't it, dearies," Rumplestiltskin voiced what the rest of the Roger's crew was thinking.

After a moment, Emma broke the stunned silence. "Say Gold, who—or what—is Pan anyway? You seem to be the expert here." Emma mused to the Dark One.

"Well, I don't know if you could call me an expert, dearie, but I certainly am well versed on the subject."

Emma sat on the steps leading up to the helm. "Start talking. We need to know what we're up against."

The Dark One let out another irritating laugh and the others followed Emma's example, as Rumplestiltskin began his tale.

* * *

Author's Note: so here's another chapter! Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think by submitting a review, and I'll see you lot later!


	12. Chapter 12: The Story of Peter Pan

"I first came across Pan when he lived in our realm, the Enchanted Forest," Rumplestiltskin clarified for Emma's sake, "The boy was the only child of a elderly shoemaker and his wife. He was a clever boy, but as the shoemaker's only child he was expected to learn the family business. He had been fortunate enough to avoid the Ogre War draft, but as a result, his parents were...perhaps a bit too overprotective. Times were hard after the War and Peter's family wanted him to grow up quickly to help is aging father. The boy was completely disinterested in growing up, having never really had the chance to be a child. So he came to me. I was living in the neighboring village, but tales of my...reputation for deal making were beginning to spread. Peter came to me and begged me to take him away from his family. He wanted to go somewhere he could always be a child and where he could be appreciated."

Rumplestiltskin was lost in his own memories, looking blankly at the deck of the Jolly Roger. The Dark One's voice grew soft, and if Emma listened carefully, she could almost hear a hint of Storybrooke's Mr. Gold in his tone. "I—I had only recently lost Bae; scarcely a month had passed since I broke my promise to him. And...loosing him was still very fresh in my mind. I could honestly say that I knew exactly how Peter's parents would feel if I were to agree to his deal. So when Peter asked me to take him away from his family I...I couldn't do it. I told him to go home, back to his family. He got angry; Peter had quite the temper." Rumplestiltskin shook his head at the memory.

"Somehow, and I truly don't know how dearies, Peter made it to Neverland. I'm sure he found it quite perfect. Never growing any older than eleven, plenty of adventures to be had and, most importantly, other children to join him on his adventures. At some point, Peter befriended the fairies but a fairy by the name of Mab held a special fondness for Peter. She was so fond of the boy she taught him to fly, allowing him to become more like the Fairy Folk than the humans."

"Hang on," the prince interjected, "How did you even learn about Pan's time in Neverland?"

"Well if you would let me finish, dearie," Rumplestiltskin reprimanded the prince, giving him stern look. When his audience was silent again, the Dark One continued, "It was several years later when I saw Pan again, just before the pirate and I had our little..." Rumplestiltskin moved his hands back and forth in search of an appropriate word, "Disagreement." Killian snorted his disapproval of the Dark One's term but was ignored.

"Pan returned to my cottage, with Mab in tow. Apparently, she had convinced him to come and taunt me; flaunting his new abilities and his connections with the fairies who had the power to travel to different realms. He crowed, literally and figuratively dearies, about his time in Neverland and all the wonderful things Mab had given him. Mab was only too happy to egg the boy on—although I'm still convinced she was angry at the previous Dark One and taking it out on me."

"At any rate, I had had about enough of the boy's antics so I mentioned his family to him. I had heard that the boy's parents were still living in their old house and left the window open every night in case Peter returned to them; they loved him so much, that they refused to give up hope that he would return. Naturally, Peter didn't believe me, so I offered to take him to his old home. When we arrived, Peter was quite delighted to learn I told him the truth and that his parents were still waiting for him. Evidently, the boy had grown lonely in Neverland, his abilities making him stand out from the other Lost Boys. And he happily flew to the window to wake his parents."

"So, how did he become the Shadow?" Emma asked slowly, knowing this story could never have a happy ending.

The Dark One looked down sadly, and then Emma knew that Belle's True Love was still there. "The one thing you need to know about fairies, Princess Emma, is that they are only capable of expressing one emotion at a time. Mab was furious when Peter greeted his parents. She saw herself as the reason for the boy's happiness and refused to let anyone else make him happy. Mab became so enraged at the thought of Peter leaving her that she allowed her anger to consume her, and the purity of her magic was snuffed out."

"Her fairy dust became wicked," Snow White inferred.

The Dark One pointed to her and giggled in delight that she had caught on, "Right you are, dearie," he continued in a less enthusiastic tone, once again lost in the past, "Mab, being the possessive little thing she was, decided that if she couldn't have Peter, no one could. She...well for lack of a better term, she destroyed Peter...in front of his parents," Rumplestiltskin's voice held a far away tone, "There was nothing I could do. She moved too quickly and fairy magic is so much different from my own."

The Dark One took a breath, steeling himself for the rest of his tale. "All that remained of the boy when Mab was through was his shadow, lying lifeless on the floor of the cottage. Mab had used up almost all of her energy in killing the boy. Peter's mother was distraught. She wept over her son's shadow. But this seemed to only make Mab angrier. She used the remnants of her magic to join her last bit of fairy dust with Peter's shadow. Now as you can probably guess, this brought the Shadow to life...if you can call it life. The Shadow wasn't exactly Mab, but it wasn't entirely Peter either. It certainly had Mab's anger though. Blasted me right off my feet and out the cottage window. I can only imagine what it did to Peter's grieving parents. When I went back inside the cottage, only their shadows remained."

"The Shadow hated it's new form...or at least that's how I interpreted the missing children that cropped up over the years, found weeks after their disappearance with their hearts pulled out and their own shadows mysteriously missing. The Shadow is—was I should say—willing to steal an infinite number of hearts in order to find one that would change it back. Evidently, the heart the Shadow was looking for had to be 'right fit.' A heart that believed in magic and hope so strongly, that it could replicate fairy magic and restore the Shadow's human form. "

"But all magic comes with a price," Emma quoted quietly.

"You're learning, dearie!" Rumplestiltskin's tone was pleased but his eyes still reflected a bitter sadness; a sadness of lost hopes, regrets, and broken promises.

"So, Henry took the Shadow's place when his heart was used to fulfill the Shadow's wish." Emma ran a hand through her hair, exhausted and saddened by Gold's tale. Killian gave her hand a squeeze and her father pressed a comforting kiss to her temple.

"How did the Shadow know that Henry's would be the right heart?" Killian asked.

"It seems that one of the powers Mab's fairy dust transferred to The Shadow was the fairy's seeing ability. Very few fairies have the power to see the future; Mab was one of them." The group fell into silence once more, pondering over the information they had just heard.

"If wicked fairy dust was used to make the Shadow, could the reverse be true?" Snow White mused thoughtfully, "Could a good fairy's dust be used to bring Henry back?"

"Theoretically, yes." Rumplestiltskin replied rubbing his chin with long, scaled fingers, "But there is still the small matter of the boy's heart. We'd have to get that back from the now very much alive, flying Pan in order to begin to restore Henry."

"Then that's what we have to do." Emma proclaimed, lifting her head from her father's shoulder, "We're going to steal back Henry's heart."

* * *

Author's Note: WOW! Two updates in one day! I am on a role! Not a lot of Captain Swan in this one, but it was necessary for the plot! Okay a note about Mab. My Mab is loosely based on Queen Mab in J.M. Barrie's "The Little White Bird"; in that story, Mab does give Peter the ability to fly after he learns he can no longer do so. So that's that then. Tune in next time! I hope to have the next chapter out by tomorrow! Not much longer to go now folks! I am predicting between 3 and 4 more chapters. Please review and let me know what you think! Ciao!


	13. Chapter 13: What Is Regina Mills Good At

True to her word, Tinkerbell found Regina and brought her back to the Jolly Roger three days later. The queen had looked a little worse for wear, having stumbled around the jungle with a limited and unreliable source of magic for several weeks, but she still maintained a certain regality and grace. Fortunately, the Roger's crew was quickly able to bring the queen up to speed with what they knew about Pan and Henry. Unfortunately, when they began to plan, Regina voiced her immediate objections.

"You can't honestly tell me that the only way for me to participate in rescuing _my_ _son_ is for me to take a fairy's heart and obtain their magic for myself?"

"He's not just yours, dearie, and if you hadn't already noticed I've made peace with the consequences of my actions," the Dark One broke in, "The sooner you get your magic, the sooner we can save the boy."

"Oh, and listening to you has worked _so_ well for me!" Regina snapped, rolling her eyes at him.

"Gold has a point, Regina. Your going to need magic to fight this one," Snow White advised.

"This coming from the woman who's heart was blackened because she used magic to solve her problems," Regina countered nastily, giving her a sardonic smile.

Snow closed her eyes to steel her emotions while David glared at Regina. The queen continued, "The bottom line is, I'm not taking a fairy's heart. I won't do it. Not even if it means control over my magic."

"Then don't take one," Tinkerbell added quietly, "Or rather, don't take one by force." Everyone turned to look at the blonde fairy. Tinkerbell shrugged and locked eyes with Regina. "You don't need to take one, because I'll give you mine."

Killian and Emma opened their mouths to protest but the fairy cut them off. "Look," Tinkerbell argued, "Regina needs magic to go up against the Lost Ones and get back Henry. I'm offering her a way that will get her magic back, and give us all an edge when fighting Pan and the Lost One's, but won't tarnish her soul. I'll give her my heart freely." Regina looked at Tinkerbell, shocked that the fairy would be so selfless. Emma's parents looked sadly at the fairy, while the pirate and the saviour began making excuses for her. "And before you start Killian, I've lived long enough. If I can do one last good thing to help you and your family, then I would be proud to give up my heart and my life for this one cause."

The pirate and the saviour looked at the fairy brokenly. "No," Regina breathed softly, "I won't have you do that, Tinkerbell. I won't allow you to do that. Tink, we were friends once." Regina's admission was met with cries of surprise, mostly from the pirate and the prince. The queen continued in a sad but fierce tone, "I can't loose the one true friend I've ever had, even though we haven't been friends for quite some time. But more importantly, I can't take your heart because I need to prove to myself and to my son that I can be a hero, who doesn't need magic to get what she wants."

The queen's speech was met with stunned silence, broken only when Rumplestiltskin began to giggle wildly. "Now is not the time for you to be growing a conscience, dearie!"

"Shockingly," Killian added grudgingly, "I agree with the crocodile." Killian's voice sounded pained at his admission. If anyone was surprised by the pirate's confession they didn't show it. "Going up against Pan and the Lost Ones without magic is risky at best, but at least _we_," the pirate gestured to Emma's family, himself, and the Dark One, "have other fighting skills to make up for it: swordsmanship, archery, and general hand-to-hand combat. Have you every handled a blade?"

"Well, no." the queen admitted.

"Fired a bow and arrow?"

"No, but—"

"Have you ever fought anybody, and _won_, without the use of magic?" Killian questioned once more.

"No," the queen murmured, both sad and embarrassed at the pirate's interrogation.

Killian nodded brusquely. "Well then, no offense Regina, but what skills can you honestly bring to the table when all you have to offer is your magic?" Everyone was at a loss, trying to think of a way to help Regina help herself.

"There has to be some sort of fighting you are good at," Snow White mused hopefully, "You fought a war against Charming and I. You have to have seen battle at some point."

"Seen it, yes. Participated, no. One of the many advantages of being the queen with my own army was that I never had to fight my own battles," Regina confessed, rubbing her temples in frustration.

"You ride horses exceptionally well," the princess offered helpfully.

"Do you see any horses around here, dearie?" the Dark One chimed in with an annoyed huff.

"I was trying to think of things Regina is good at! We've established that she can't fight without magic, but there are other things she _is_ good at!" Snow White stated, determined to defend her step-mother.

"A mother!" Emma exclaimed suddenly. "Regina is good at being a mom."

"Well I'm glad you approve of my parenting skills, Miss Swan, but how is that helpful at a time like this?"

Emma shock her head, grinning at the simplicity of it all. "What do the Lost Boys want more than _anything_ else in the world?"

"Their leader?" David suggested. The saviour shook her head.

"An endless supply of adventures?" Snow White offered.

"A parent," the pirate answered, comprehension dawning on him.

The blonde nodded. "More specifically, a mother. Remember Pan's offer for me? Stay and be the Boys's mother? Tell them stories and I get to see Henry? I refused, but Regina never gave an answer."

"Oh, you clever lass! I see where you are going with this, darling!" Killian nodded excitedly, understanding Emma's idea and thrilled with the prospects.

"Well none of us do, dearie," Rumplestiltskin muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Emma sighed and spoke patiently, "Regina is a good mother. And she is how we are going to get into Pan's camp and get Henry back."

* * *

Author's Note: Hello all! Sorry this one is a bit short, but I wanted to leave you all with something before I moved. I hope to have another chapter out by next week. We are almost at the end people! Exciting stuff! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think!


	14. Chapter 14: A Mother's Suggestion

Regina tread carefully into the glade, arms raised in surrender as she was led to the Lost One's encampment by Felix and a smaller Lost One who went by Tootles. Neither the queen nor Pan's companions spoke as they trailed through the forest, but Tootles kept shooting awestruck glances at Regina when Felix looked the other way. As the trio entered the clearing, there was a great rustle of branches and leaves as the Lost One's camp sprang to life.

A series of animal calls made by the boys signaled Pan's dramatic arrival. The green clad boy flew impressively out from the tree trunk hideaway. Pan swooped around the clearing twice, crowing cockily to the delight of the boys, before hovering in front of the queen with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Who are you?" Pan queried haughtily.

"She's come to be our mother!" Tootles exclaimed excitedly, before he was promptly swatted by Felix for his outburst.

"Know your place, Tootles," Felix hissed, as Tootles rubbed his smarting ear.

"A mother?" Pan repeated, looking Regina up and down, "Well then, let's see if you're mother material." Peter rubbed his chin thoughtfully, still floating so that he was eye level with the queen. "Can you cook?" Pan asked.

"Yes, but I am best at baking...especially with apples." Regina laughed at her hidden joke.

"Do you...tell stories?" Pan continued.

"I have. I always wanted to tell my children stories."

"What sort of stories do you know?" Tootles chimed in enthusiastically before being cuffed again by Felix.

Regina gave a small frown but smiled fondly at the smaller boy. "I know a lot of stories. Fairy tales mostly, but I know better endings to the ones you're used to. The endings you won't find in books."

Peter nodded seriously, "That is an excellent skill for a mother to have. Knowing different endings keeps things entertaining when we hear the same story over and over again. Let's see what else..." Peter rubbed his chin again. He spotted a dark figure moving out of the corner of his eye, an wheeled around.

"Who let my shadow out again!" Pan roared at the Lost Ones, picking up the Shadow Henry from off the ground from where he had been attempting an escape, "I told you lot to leave him in the hideout until I've gotten him stuck on again!" Peter seemed to have had an epiphany, as he stopped his circling and looked slowly between the Shadow Henry and the queen.

"One last question," Pan stated quietly, a wicked and pleased glint to his eyes as he looked upon the Shadow Henry, "Can you sew?"

"Yes," Regina answered without hesitation. The Shadow Henry turned to his adoptive mother; had his facial expressions been visible, they would have portrayed his confusion.

Pan crowed. "Lost Boys, listen up! I have found us all a mother!" Pan's enthusiasm was met with cheers from all the Boys but Felix.

"You can't be serious, Pan! You've only just met her! She was with _them_ when she came here!" Felix argued, furious at Peter's quick decision and lack of forethought, "For all we know she has magic and is going to use it against us!"

Peter thrust the Shadow into the arms of Tootles, barking "Don't let it loose!" before flying towards Felix.

Pan and the Lost Boy glared at each other, while the other Boys and Regina looked on in silence; some looked worried, others amused, but the queen showed no emotion towards the staring contest taking place. The air was thick with tension. Finally, Peter spoke. "Who is the leader around here, Felix?"

"You left me in charge while you were gone Peter! Forgive me for having the interests of the Boys in mind!"

"The interests of the Boys!? Tell me lads," Pan addressed the group, "Who left you with an adventure when he could not be there to lead you?"

"Pan!" they chorused at once.

"Who brought you a mother?"

"Pan!" this response was slightly hesitant, as several of the boys recognized that technically Felix and Tootles brought Regina to them, while others responded out of pure loyalty to Pan.

Seeing he was fighting a loosing battle, Felix tried a different tactic. "None of the others would have followed you like I did; done the things you asked me to do! I searched this island for _years_, trying to find the boy like you told me! You should be thanking _me_! You should be listening to _me_! _I'm_ your second in command!_ I'm_ the reason you are back!" the Lost One cried.

Pan's eyes turned cold and flashed blood red. "You think yourself above my orders, Felix? You think you're special? More special than _me_?" There was a flash of movement and several of the Lost Boys gasped in horror at seeing Pan's hand lodged in Felix's chest. Pan continued calmly, as though he were not causing the boy a great deal of pain, "I'm the one who found you abandoned at the side of the road in your world, Felix. I brought you to Neverland. I am the reason you are even alive today. And don't think for an instant that I can't destroy you."

Peter jerked his arm backwards withdrawing Felix's heart. The Lost Boy fell to his knees with a whimper, and for the first time the other Boys saw Felix's hardened exterior fall away, leaving behind a very frightened little boy who only wanted to protect the other children who had become his family.

"I will admit Felix, you played your part very well," Peter tightened his grip on the heart ever so slightly, "But to be honest, I have grown tired of this game. You were a great second for a while. But I just don't think your...ahem...your heart is in it anymore." And with a malicious grin Peter Pan crushed Felix's heart, letting the dust fall from his hand and float into the wind.

Several of the Boys screamed, having never seen Pan act this way; what had started out as an adventure game to the Lost Boys was quickly turning into their worst nightmares, as their protector became the person they should be protected from.

Pan gave Felix's body a final look of contempt before addressing the Boys. "So, who wants Mother to tell us a story?"

The entire glade was silent, and a few of the Boys shrunk back hoping to avoid Pan's eye.

"Come now boys! I've brought you a mother and this is the thanks I get for all my hard work?" Peter tutted, glancing around the glade, "Now who wants to hear a story?"

"You killed Felix," a small voice spoke up behind Regina.

"Now Tootles, that wasn't my question. I asked. Who. Wants. To hear. A. _Story_." Peter spoke slowly but with a slightly threatening tone.

"Felix only ever did what you asked us to do. He was good to us—"

"You are out of line Tootles!" Pan broke in.

"He always made sure we knew the plan. He treated each of us from the biggest ones to the smallest like we were his equals." Tootles's voice grew louder.

"Stand down Tootles!" Pan raged, furious that he was being compared to his late subordinate.

Some of the older Boys, worried for their young compatriot's safety, were heard muttering, "Come on Tootles. Don't do it."

"He might not have been the kindest Lost Boy—he had to be tough on us to make sure we had a sense of order—but he was a good leader. He knew how to take care of us! Just like Slightly did before—"

Peter flew in front of Tootles and glared. "Never ever _ever_ talk about Slightly! Do you hear me!" Pan screamed, shaking Tootles by the shoulders to emphasize his point, "Slightly left you! He wanted to grow up! How's that for a leader? When I came here all you ever talked about was your _beloved_ leader Slightly, who led you on great adventures and told stories of singing mermaids, sailing ships, and parents who found their children. Then he leaves you, _all of you_, alone in Neverland with no one in charge while he went and _grew up_!"

"He left me in charge, Peter! But the you came along and were so much bigger than me that I stood down because I thought you could do a better job!" Tootles cried looking at Pan sadly, "But now I know that I was wrong. And Slightly would be ashamed of me for being a coward."

Peter glowered at Tootles, exhaling loudly in anger. "Well, Tootles, Slightly isn't here. And now I am your leader," Pan declared through clenched teeth, "And if you have a problem with my authority, then perhaps you are not fit to be among us anymore."

The Lost Boys gasped in horror as Pan thrust his hand into Tootles's chest, only to be stopped by a firm hand gripping his wrist.

"Peter, don't!" Regina cried.

"Are you undermining my authority too, mother?" Pan's eyes were still locked on Tootles, feeding off the smaller boy's fear.

"Absolutely not," Regina replied calmly.

Pan and the Lost Boys all turned to look at the Queen; Peter looked curious, while the majority of the Boys wore dumbfounded expressions, as though they had been clubbed over the head.

"I agree Tootles should be punished for his behaviour," Pan grinned and moved to continue the process of ripping out the small boy's heart. "But why not wait until you have your Shadow back on?" Regina continued quickly.

Peter cocked his head to the side, silently letting Regina know he was listening.

"Well, if you kill him now, the Boys won't learn anything. The Boys need to know that you are their undisputed leader. Without your Shadow, they can challenge you. You are not whole without it. Without your Shadow, you don't have full access to your powers. Think about it. Your Shadow has...a mind of it's own," Pan snickered at Regina's quip, "But it has powers you don't have...yet.

"What sort of powers?" Pan questioned skeptically.

Regina laughed: an adult particularly amused by a child's innocence. "Endless powers," the Queen said with a fond smile, "Your Shadow was once the truest believer and he made many things possible. Your Shadow still has this capacity for belief, and if you reattach your Shadow, you too can make anything possible. You need only to rejoin with your Shadow and you can unlock these powers...and you will be the most extraordinary boy that has ever lived. The true leader of the Lost Boys, the King of Neverland. Then you can kill the ones who refuse your rule. Kill the boy now, and your claim can still be questioned. Wait..and you will have complete control." Somewhere during her speech, the queen's voice had lowered to a soft tone, encouraging Pan to see her point of view.

"King of Neverland," Pan murmured to himself, "I rather like the sound of that. Just how do you suppose I reattach my Shadow?"

Regina gave the boy a saccharine smile. "Why, I can sew it on for you."

And Pan's eyes glinted with unrepressed glee as he matched the Queen's smile.

* * *

Hello All! Firstly, I am sorry for the delay. I moved across the ocean then moved houses twice. Add that to starting my MA and a dose of writer's block, and this story got pushed back off the stove and back onto the counter. Rest assured it will be finished. There are only two chapters left. This chapter was supposed to be in the next one but I figured I've waited long enough to finish writing this one and so I am posting this now. Needless to say, based on the season thus far this is now AU. But I do have a couple of head canon's up my sleeve that fit in nicely with Barrie's original so watch out for that soon. Don't know when I will have the next chapter written and posted but I hope this will tide you over for now. So if you are still with me after this long a wait, please review! Reviews make my day and they make me write a bit faster. *hint hint* As always, everything belongs to Adam and Eddy, and JM Barrie. I'm just borrowing things. Until next time!


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